SARIKEI: Bamboo cultivation could open up new opportunities for downstream industries, with suitable areas to be identified along the Sarikei-Tanjung Manis road.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said he would ask the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) to identify areas suitable for bamboo planting.
“I will ask STIDC to identify areas for us to plant bamboo,” he said during a site visit to the Sarikei Bypass Road project here today (Aug 8).
He was briefed on development plans for the Sarikei Division during the visit, including road connectivity and the development of new areas.
Abang Johari said bamboo could be planted along roadsides, including in urban areas, to create a natural canopy.
He said concerns that bamboo cultivation would attract snakes were an old stigma that could now be addressed through technology.
“Previously, we were afraid to plant bamboo because there were many snakes. If there is bamboo, there are snakes. But that is just a stigma,” he said.
Abang Johari said bamboo could also be harvested continuously as it would grow again after being cut.
“When bamboo is cut, it will grow again,” he said.
He said the availability of bamboo could also support downstream processing, with the raw material eventually being turned into products such as chopsticks.
He described this as a potential light industry that could be developed through downstream activities.
“This is a light industry. You can go downstream. So we have to be creative,” he said.
In jest, he said the development could eventually give the area another identity beyond its pineapple production.
“Perhaps Sarikei will no longer be known only for pineapples, but also for chopsticks,” he said.
Abang Johari then highlighted the wider potential for agricultural development, saying there was still extensive land available.
“I see agriculture can be developed here because there is still a large amount of land available,” he said.
He said the new SG1 pineapple variety was among the crops that could be promoted, with the variety taking about eight to nine months to reach harvest.
He also proposed developing rice cultivation on a smaller, group based scale using new technology as part of the move towards modern agriculture.
