Plans to revive bamboo industry
PLANS are in progress to devise a FijiIndonesia bamboo cooperation in the field of research and capacity building trainings in an effort to revive Fiji’s bamboo industry.
This, according to a statement released by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Suva after hosting a seminar at the Tanoa Plaza in Suva last week with the theme “Potential for Sustainable Bamboo Product — Making Industry in Fiji”.
Also included in these plans are the possibility of designing Sote Village in Tailevu, and Vunidawa Village, Naitasiri as model bamboo villages in Fiji.
Indonesia’s Ambassador to Fiji Dupito Darma Simamora said the Indonesian Government wishes to work with the Government and relevant stakeholders in Fiji to identify the needs and challenges of the bamboo industry in Fiji.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Fiji representative Eileen Pickering suggested that in order to develop a Bamboo industry, line ministries will need to explore, evaluate and review what can be done with the available resources and the challenges faced.
She said such an approach was required in order to design an action plan on how to implement the way forward for establishing a sustainable Industry.
Some of the challenges brought up during the seminar were on the marketing including the accessibility of bamboo products to the nearest market.
Representatives from Vunidawa and Sote villages also attended the seminar .
The bamboo experts spoke on the uses of bamboos, bamboo products as well as the various bamboo processing and treatment techniques applied in Indonesia.