Monday, 22 July 2013

Bamboo -- an agricultural crop?

Bamboo is amongst the fastest growing plants in the world. In Asian countries it is an incredible raw material with way over a thousand uses!

South Africa's Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) is backing the Eastern Cape province to be the leader of a bamboo industry in Southern Africa [find information about the ECDC at www.ecdc.co.za]. This past weekend brought news of yet another investment by the ECDC into a bamboo harvesting trial.

The bamboo value chain has the potential to create thousands of jobs. Agriculture is the nucleus for many related job prospects. Before the crop you have a multitude of "upstream industries". Once the crop is harvested, various manufacturing, distribution and retail subsectors kick into action.

We welcome any and every effort by a South African authority to support a potential winner like bamboo!

Bamboo is one of the 40-plus crop chapters in The Agri Handbook for South Africa. Find information and bamboo and contact details of role players here.


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