Kenya Marks First Ever World Bamboo Day in Migori
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| Bamboo |
The Kenyan Government has plans lined up to ensure there is a ready market for Bambo for farmers in from different parts of the country in the business.
This was revealed at Kenya marked her first ever World Bamboo day on Sunday September 18 at Nyabera village in Awendo Sub county, Migori county.
It was revealed that the country lacks a ready market for bamboo and this has made farmers get stranded with close to a million seedlings.
For instance, Francisca Kwasa in whose farm the celebrations were hosted confessed that she is stranded with 60,000 seedlings.
“This is not the end of the road for me but I know I will continue fighting to popularize this plant as it has tremendously changed my life,” she said.
She explained that she was drawn into planting bamboo after a severe shortage of charcoal and firewood in their home cost her father’s life to a snake bite as he was in a mission to fetch for the family with firewood.
But Dr. Paul Ongugo, A senior scientist with Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) dispelled fears among farmers saying that bamboo farming in Kenya is promising.
Ongugo said a company from the United Kingdom has planned to pump millions of shillings to construct a Bamboo factory in Kilifi County.
The factory that will rest of 5000 ha of land, Onguro said, will be used to process raw from crop to different finished products.
“A part from that, there are about 250, 000 Chinese nationals who have a ready market for the crop whose shoots they value as nutritious food,” he said.
The Scientist however said that Bamboo was a suitable crop in Migori in place of Tobacco, whose market is dwindling after two companies closed shop in the county in addition to health risks it poses, and Sugarcane planting that is grappling with poor pricing.
But misplaced beliefs on the plant have also led to many farmers in the region to shy away from actively engaging in bamboo planting.
The factory that will rest of 5000 ha of land, Onguro said, will be used to process raw from crop to different finished products.
“A part from that, there are about 250, 000 Chinese nationals who have a ready market for the crop whose shoots they value as nutritious food,” he said.
The Scientist however said that Bamboo was a suitable crop in Migori in place of Tobacco, whose market is dwindling after two companies closed shop in the county in addition to health risks it poses, and Sugarcane planting that is grappling with poor pricing.
But misplaced beliefs on the plant have also led to many farmers in the region to shy away from actively engaging in bamboo planting.
In this region, the Luo, Kisii and Luhya communities have associated bamboo planting with witchcraft, and this has been detrimental to the plant.
But Victor Siribwa, Director with Western – based Kenya Bamboo Pioneers Network urged farmers to ignore the belief as he is making a good fortune out of Bamboo.
“The belief held by some of these communities is non-sense and should be discarded for the up-coming young people who are currently faced with the rising unemployment in the country can generate good income
out of bamboo farming,” he said.
Siribwa called on KEFRI and Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to partner with private organisation and individual farmers to come up with policies to forester bamboo development in the country.
Bamboo is used in many spheres like in making furniture, building material and also used as a medical plant.
But Victor Siribwa, Director with Western – based Kenya Bamboo Pioneers Network urged farmers to ignore the belief as he is making a good fortune out of Bamboo.
“The belief held by some of these communities is non-sense and should be discarded for the up-coming young people who are currently faced with the rising unemployment in the country can generate good income
out of bamboo farming,” he said.
Siribwa called on KEFRI and Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to partner with private organisation and individual farmers to come up with policies to forester bamboo development in the country.
Bamboo is used in many spheres like in making furniture, building material and also used as a medical plant.
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