bamboo

The Public Gardens Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries on December 23 planted approximately 100 stem cuttings of the Bambusa vulgaris bamboo species on lands earmarked for the development of the Holland Bamboo nursery in St. Elizabeth.

The nursery forms part of the Holland Bamboo Replanting Project that is being undertaken in collaboration with the Tourism Enhancement Fund and is aimed at assisting with the rehabilitation of the Holland Bamboo Scenic Avenue with the goal of returning it to its former glory.

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Floyd Green, says he will be exploring the possibility of designating bamboo as an agricultural crop in keeping with the Ministry’s objective of building a robust bamboo industry and getting more farmers involved in bamboo production.

Some 100 farmers from five parishes across the island are to benefit from the distribution of 70,000 vegetable seedlings and fruit trees under the second phase of the Agri Resilience Response to COVID Project, valued at $3.6 million.
The parishes are Kingston, St. Andrew, Clarendon, St. Ann and Portland.

Bamboo is being heralded as the perfect alternative to plastic and styrofoam products as Jamaica moves into a new phase on bans against materials that are largely considered to be harmful to the environment. “We are encouraging Jamaicans to grow bamboo because we help, as a small island nation, by doing that to clean up the environment,” said Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) Director of Special Projects Gladstone Rose in making his pitch for more Jamaicans to consider planting bamboo.

Cyril Chambers (right), farmer, in Dean Pen, St. Mary, shows carrots and sweet corn reaped from his farm to the Hon. J.C. Hutchinson (centre), Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, on July 26. At left is President of the Elliot Farmers Community Group Marvalee Russell.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Hon. J.C. Hutchinson, has described the emerging bamboo industry as a lucrative endeavour for the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) sector.

The Minister was addressing the International Bamboo and Rattan Congress in Beijing, China, on June 25.