Phu Le enhances the economic value of bamboo forests

People of Phu Le commune take care of bamboo forest.

In previous years, most of the bamboo forest area in Phu Le was planted and cared for by local people in the traditional way, following nature, without applying technical advances. Local people mainly relied on experience, paying little attention to fertilization and thinning, leading to low bamboo productivity, small trees, few bamboo shoots, and uneven product quality. The economic value was therefore not high, output products were forced down in price by traders, and the lives of bamboo growers were precarious.

Faced with this situation, Phu Le commune has proactively coordinated with BWG Mai Chau Joint Stock Company, Phu Tho province to deploy a model of planting and managing intensive bamboo forests according to international standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This is a method of forest management and planting that ensures environmental, social and economic sustainability, complying with 10 principles and 56 strict criteria set by the FSC organization. Initially, in Sai village, 27 households participated in the model with an area of 40 hectares of bamboo. After a period of applying the technical process, this forest area was granted FSC certification. This is an important milestone, not only affirming a positive change in the way people do things but also creating products with high added value. Mr. Ha Xuan Lang, one of the households participating in the model, said: “Thanks to training and applying proper care techniques, the productivity and quality of my family's bamboo forest have been significantly improved. Bamboo is fertilized regularly, bamboo shoots grow more, and the internodes are larger than before. Compared to bamboo forests grown in the traditional way, the productivity of FSC-certified forests is 30 to 35% higher. In particular, the bamboo trees that are ready for harvest are purchased by the company at a committed price, helping people feel secure in their production.”

According to statistics of Phu Le commune, the whole commune currently has 3,396 hectares of bamboo forest. In previous years, the people in the villages and hamlets in the commune often overexploited bamboo shoots and bamboo shoots, did not fertilize, so the bamboo forest in the area was degraded, leading to low productivity... Faced with this situation, the commune has mobilized and guided households growing bamboo to implement intensive farming measures, such as: Clearing bamboo forests, cutting down diseased and old trees, digging the surrounding soil to create looseness, increasing the ability to absorb nutrients for the trees. Instructing people to fertilize and increase the rate of bamboo shoots for the bamboo forest area. Along with that, the commune coordinated with the forest rangers to organize training on techniques for care and fertilization for households registered to participate in bamboo forest restoration; implementing the development of a sustainable bamboo forest management plan to grant FSC certification to bamboo forests.

According to the professional staff of the Economic Department, Phu Le Commune People's Committee, the implementation of intensive farming and fertilization measures for bamboo helps increase the rate of bamboo shoots from 1.5 to 2 times compared to the area of bamboo that has not been restored or intensively cultivated. Thanks to that, the area of bamboo and rattan forests after restoration has increased productivity and output, helping people have more income and stabilize their lives. Along with the development of bamboo forests, Phu Le Commune has created conditions and attracted 3 bamboo processing facilities to produce and trade in the area. Having on-site processing facilities not only helps people's bamboo output to be favorable but also increases the value of products through deep processing and creates more jobs for local workers.

Mr. Ha Van Doi, Vice Chairman of Phu Le Commune People's Committee, said: After stabilizing the administrative apparatus, the commune has developed a plan to develop the area of bamboo forests to coordinate with the agricultural sector to implement the planning of intensive bamboo farming areas and restore bamboo forests. At the same time, it propagates to the people the policy to support the development of intensive bamboo farming; coordinates with Quan Hoa Forest Protection Department to organize training courses on techniques for caring for and fertilizing bamboo forests to restore bamboo forests for the people. Along with that, the commune continues to implement the bamboo forest restoration project, promote the development of intensive bamboo farming areas, improve the productivity and quality of bamboo forests and promote the granting of FSC forest certification.

Article and photos: Hai Dang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/phu-le-nang-cao-gia-tri-nbsp-kinh-te-rung-luong-260055.htm