balita.ph; December 13, 2013 12:14 pm 

BAGUIO CITY, Dec. 13 — Two line agencies have started to promote the bamboo industry of Benguet Province, particularly in the mountainous areas where reforestation is a must.

There is yet no estimate of the total land area for the bamboo mass production but it could run to a few hundred square kilometers.

This was learned from Freda Gaoisan, provincial chief of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) who said that her office is now in tandem with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the promotion of a new industry in the area.

This, after the demonstration farms of the agro-forest farmers assisted by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Forest Development (BFD) proved that bamboo can be raised in commercial scale in this province which has a temperature of 15 to 25 degrees celsius and high elevation of an average of 2,000 feet above sea level.

Gaoisan said that DTI and DENR are about to form a core-group of skilled bamboo craft manufacturers who will soon make use of the matured bamboos planted more than 10 years ago in order that they would also help in planting the source of their raw material for various products like furniture, baskets and internal decorations.

The group is set to be trained by bamboo craft experts in a seminar to be held in Kapangan, Benguet.

It would also be in that town where the association of bamboo growers will put up a display center and trade fair anytime this month.

”It was also found out that bamboo is a good construction material either for houses or for the building of fish ponds that the demand of the plant is now increasing thoughout Luzon,” he said.

Other agro-forest farmers raise bamboos for food as the bamboo shoots are excellent for salad or to be mixed with vegetables and mushrooms. [(PNA)LAP/AAG/AGALACGAC]