KUCHING: Puncak Borneo Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Willie Mongin has called for state government help to bring in big players to open up commercial bamboo plantations in Sarawak.
He said special attention needs to be paid to the development of the industry, first by opening big plantations to ensure sufficient and sustainable stock of raw materials.
“If we can have big bamboo plantations operated by big companies in Sarawak, the small-scale community farmers can become the complementary suppliers, helping to meet the demand of the factories that are involved in downstream products.
“Having the availability of sufficient and sustainable stock of raw material is of great importance to any investor who wants to set up a factory.
“This is because for the factory to operate its daily business, they need an uninterrupted supply of raw materials,” he said at the handing over of bamboo seedlings by the Sarawak Timber Development Corporation (STIDC) to the community at Kampung Nyiru Grait, in Puncak Borneo here yesterday.
He believed that this was the only way for Sarawak move forward and become one of the leading producers of bamboo products in the region.
He said aside from that, some initiatives must be taken, be it by the government agencies or the private sectors, to establish manufacturing factories in the state.
He said this is important to ensure bamboo plantation operators and bamboo community farmers can sell their products.
“Without ready buyers, farmers will be worried about where to sell their products.
“But, as we have heard from the STIDC Bamboo Resource and Carbon Trading acting general manager Nizam Abdullah just now, they are ready buyers for the species that are obtained from STIDC.
“I hope the success of the project here will become reality,” he said.
The former Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister pointed out that in China and Taiwan, the bamboo farmers are very advanced.
He said they planted bamboo for several purposes, including for making compost, supplied them to the factories, and some of them even export their bamboo shoot overseas.
“And some of them had become millionaires by selling bamboo shoot.
“Who knows one day, the participants of the community project here will become millionaires from selling bamboo shoots as well.
“Some of you may smile now when I say this, but the making of a bamboo shoot millionaire can become reality and can happen here,” he said.
He believed that it can be achieved if one has strong desire, dedicated and not give up easily.
“Your future and your success are in our own hands,” he said.
Willie also urged the state government to take the community programme seriously and continue to help the participants in terms of providing the necessary incentives and technical advice.
He said as an elected representative of the area, he would try his best to help the participants of the programme in whatever way he can to ensure it is successful.
Earlier, Nizam said bamboo is not just an ordinary plant, adding that it has been called “green gold” because it has high value.
He hoped that bamboo can become one of the main sources of income for the participants in the near future.
“Aside from producing raw materials, we also hope the community will participate in downstream activities.
“Hopefully in the future, we will introduce the machines that can be used to produce downstream products.
“I urge the community in Puncak Borneo to continue supporting our programme and take every opportunity that is made available to them,” he said.
