“The Government, through the Ministries of (Industry), Investment and
Commerce; and Agriculture (and Fisheries), should explore the establishment of
a technical cooperation programme to train and develop Jamaica bamboo farmers
and technical workers for bamboo processing,”
Senator Norman Grant, who put a
motion on the floor in Parliament on Friday January 17th 2014 Bureau
of Standard's Bamboo and Indigenous Materials Advisory Council to be
re-invigorated
Concerns about Farming are sprouting leaves and stems on my blog, fed by
this sudden burst of Agricultural activity from the Ministry of Agriculture.
Now the latest development in Farming is the issue of the formalization of a
Bamboo and Rattan Industry in Jamaica as stated in “US$10b Bamboo
Export Potential Brought Up In Parliament”, Published Friday January 17,
2014 5:47 pm, The Jamaica Gleaner.
This issue has been brought up in Parliament by Senator Norman Grant, who
put a motion on the floor in Parliament on Friday January 17th 2014 Bureau
of Standard's Bamboo and Indigenous Materials Advisory Council to be
re-invigorated and drive the developement of high-value finished Bamboo (bambusa vulgaris) products in Jamaica.
Senator Norman Grant has argued for Jamaica to follow China, the World’s
major producer of Bamboo and Rattan, an Industry worth nearly US$15-billion and
projected to reach some US$20 billion by 2015 as stated in “Govt
Urged to Speed up Development of Bamboo Industry”, published January 20,
2014 By Latonya Linton, Jamaica Information
Service.
The Upper House of Parliament accepted his Private Motion for a Task Force
to look into Bamboo (bambusa vulgaris)’s
despite the fact that it was pointed out by Senator Robert Montague that
Jamaica already has a Bamboo (bambusa
vulgaris) Industry and a Factory to boot as stated in the article “Grant
Pushes For Bamboo Production”, Published Saturday January 18, 2014 by
Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter, The
Jamaica Gleaner.
In his comments, Opposition Speaker on Agriculture Senator Robert
Montague chided Senator Norman Grant on his lack of research before making his
comments, quote: “The task Force that he is seeking is already in place, the
finished product factory that he is seeking is already in place”.
But this argument is charged with a tinge of politics and as such even
those who seem to be fair in their judgement are taking political sides as can
be noted in the comments of The Gavel, who slyly suggests that his comments are
a rally for Votes via the potential
promise of jobs in the Agriculture Sector as noted in “Bamboo,
Ballots And Benefits - Time To End Shallow Debates In Parliament”,
Published Monday January 20, 2014, The
Jamaica Gleaner.
Bamboo for export – From Raw
Material to finished Product, Training Partnerships required
At US$15-billion and projected to reach some US$20 billion by 2015, this
is a market that’s hard to ignore and was right under our noses. This is akin
to the Animation launch at the KingstOOn Animation Conference and Film Festival
whch was shown to be a industry with a global earning potential of US$100
billion that Jamaica can easily exploit as earlier reported in my blog article
entitled “Inaugural
KingstOOn Animation Competition a boost to local Animation Industry - State
Minister Julian Robinson give Graphic Artists the chance to Feel this Moment
Pitbull and Christina Aguilera Style”.
Despite the presence of a Bureau of Standard's Bamboo and Indigenous
Materials Advisory Council, it's basically been dead, making it pointless to even
say we had one. After all, if it's present, why then the need for Senator
Norman Grant to bring the issue to the fore?
Senator Norman Grant is proposing among many thing in his re-invigoration
of the Bamboo and Indigenous Materials Advisory Council:
1. Developement
of a pilot Bamboo (bambusa vulgaris)
finished product factory
2. Manufacture
of Bamboo (bambusa vulgaris) products
i.e. furniture in an industrial Free zone
3. Launch
of a major education and training campaign outlining the characteristics and possible
uses of Bamboo (bambusa vulgaris)
4. NEPA
(National Environment and Planning Agency) to redefine Bamboo (bambusa vulgaris)'s classification as an
invasive species to that of a cash crop
His arguements drew up on a slew of departments in the Ministry of
Agriculture, effectively suggesting their roles in his Bamboo (bambusa vulgaris) Revival, quote: “I am
also making a call that the Forestry Department give greater focus to the
development of the bamboo Industry”.
Despite his obvious lack of research, his youthful enthusiasm, very
reminiscent of a younger Minister of Technology Phillip Paulwell, won the
charms of Senator Angela Brown Burke, who then chimed in with her US$2 dollars
on the subject, pricing Bamboo (bambusa
vulgaris) with like value, quote: “One bamboo pole could be sold for
US$2…but when we can go further up the value chain and look at floorboards that
are made from that single pole we are now talking of US$30. So, we have to
begin to understand the potential that exists and not look at just growing
bamboo but going all the way up the value chain”.
But this use of Bamboo (bambusa
vulgaris) seems a bit unfair, as
it’s seen as being merely an invasive species and is thus being marketed as
merely only being good enough to make Charcoal, which went into production in
February of 2013 as noted in “Bamboo
Charcoal Goes On Sale”, Published Wednesday February 27, 2013, by Avia
Collinder, Business Writer, The Jamaica
Gleaner when an entire Industry
awaits for products made from Bamboo (bambusa
vulgaris)!
If anything, Senator Norman Grant may have been voicing the concerns of
the President of the Jamaica Wood Products and Furniture Association, Mortimer
McPherson, as it relates to the potential to make high-quality export ready
furniture from Bamboo (bambusa vulgaris)
as noted in his column “Bamboo:
Jamaica's 'Leapfrog' To Prosperity”, Published Wednesday October 30, 2013, Mortimer McPherson, Guest Columnist, The Jamaica Gleaner. Heck, it can even
make a complete House, based on this rather dated article from 2001 entitled “Bamboo
houses to be growing trend”, published 28 February 2001, The Jamaica Gleaner.
Jamaica currently has over 67,000 hectares of Bamboo (bambusa vulgaris). Of this, 99% is
Bamboo (bambusa vulgaris), a specific
species, very easily recognized. More disease resistant species can be
developed that faster growing and fit for making furniture.
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