APPLICATIONS may be submitted to cultivate bam­boo on more than 66,000 acres of vacant, fallow, and virgin land across six districts in the Ayeyawady Region, according to Daw May Than Oo, Ayeyawady Region Minister for Natu­ral Resources and Envi­ronmental Conservation.

Daw May Than Oo stated that applicants seeking to cultivate bam­boo in the Ayeyawady Region may apply for permits on 29,000 acres of vacant, fallow, and virgin land in Pathein District, 10,996 acres in Kyonpyaw District, 4,850 acres in Myanaung District, 12,721 acres in Maubin District, 1,661 acres in Pyapon District, and 6,771 acres in Labutta District, total­ling 66,671 acres across the region. She added that the Forest Department is granting permits for bam­boo cultivation on these lands and that applications for the designated areas may be processed in ac­cordance with the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Lands Management Law.

To develop the coun­try’s bamboo-based indus­try, a continuous supply of quality bamboo raw ma­terials is required. As it has become necessary to establish bamboo planta­tions and harvest bamboo systematically in addition to sourcing it from natural forests, the Forest Depart­ment has been permitting the establishment of pri­vate bamboo plantations in reserved forests and pro­tected public forests across Nay Pyi Taw and various regions and states since 2017. The department has established step-by-step procedures for reviewing and approving applications for private bamboo plan­tations. As of July 2022, a total of 136 entrepreneurs in seven states and re­gions had been granted permission to establish private bamboo planta­tions. Of the 6,081.5 acres approved, 4,191.5 acres had been planted, 1,240 acres remained to be planted, and contracts had been signed for 3,128.5 acres.

To ensure the long-term sustainability and continued utilization of Myanmar’s bamboo re­sources and natural bam­boo forests, more bamboo plantations need to be established so that bam­boo raw materials can be sourced from plantations and natural forests. My­anmar’s bamboo-based industries can develop and thrive through the coordi­nated efforts of relevant government departments providing technical sup­port, private entrepre­neurs and companies making investments, and bamboo farmers’ groups participating in the estab­lishment of bamboo plan­tations. Such cooperation would also contribute to increased production of finished bamboo products. — ASH/TH