Industry Strategic Science and Technology Plans (ISPs) Platform

PCAARRD's Industry Strategic Science and Technology Programs
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Bamboo Industry Profile

Bamboo is one of the most economically significant non-timber forest products globally. It belongs to the family of grasses, Gramineae or Poaceae, and is a high-value crop given its many uses involving food and material for buildings, bridges, and furniture. With its ability to mitigate flood and soil erosion, bamboo has various economic and ecological benefits. 

The Philippines is 6th among the largest exporters of bamboo in the world. The total area of bamboo stands in the Philippines ranges from 39,000-53,000 ha, mainly naturally growing sporadically or in patches in backyards and riverbanks in forest lands and some private lands and rarely in pure commercial stands. The potential production from these areas of bamboo stands has been estimated at an average of 36 million culms per year. For ages, bamboo has been used for a lot of purposes. The Philippines has been actively producing and processing bamboo products for construction, furniture and handicraft manufacture, food, musical instruments, farm and fishing implements, pulp and paper, and fuel for cooking and heating.

Problems in the Industry

Bamboo has disadvantages like susceptibility to insect and fungal attack, small diameter, thin-walled and hollow conditions. Like any industry, the bamboo industry is also beset with problems and challenges. Among the many issues and challenges are as follows: pests and diseases, low supply of bamboo raw materials, quality poles, and planting materials; low survival rate for macro-propagation; limited technology for shoot production and marketing strategies; high cost of processed products; and weak transfer of technology strategies. There should also be initiatives to address the gaps and issues on the following:

  • Reliable and updated data on bamboo supply and location
  • Awareness of bamboo policies
  • Knowledge of the potential uses of bamboo
  • Incentives for value-adding activities
  • Fully developed bamboo value chain
  • Management of pests and diseases of bamboo stands

ISP for Bamboo

The ISP for Bamboo hopes to address the following:

  • Inadequate supply of bamboo raw materials and quality planting materials
  • Low survival rate for bamboo macro-propagation (in nursery and plantation)
  • Pests and diseases in the nursery and plantation; preventive and control measures against pest and diseases; insect and fungal attack of newly harvested poles
  • Low quality of poles; high cost of processed products
  • Need to develop new products (high-quality charcoal; textile, nano crystalline cellulose; processed food products from shoots); limited technology for shoot production
  • Absence of consolidated policies on bamboo harvesting, transport, exportation, and importation; and limited marketing strategies
  • Weak transfer of technology strategies

Strategic R&D

Strategic R&D is DOST-PCAARRD’s banner program comprising all R&D activities that are intended to
generate outputs geared towards maximum economic and social benefits

Technologies

Products, equipment, and protocols or process innovations developed to improve productivity, efficiency,
quality, and profitability in the agriculture and aquatic industries, and to achieve sustainable
utilization and management of natural resources

High quality charcoal from bamboo

A technology for producing high-quality charcoal was developed by the Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI). The technology is developed under the project, “High-Quality Charcoal from Bamboo for Industrial...

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Technology Transfer Initiatives

Technology transfer initiatives ensure that the outputs of R&D and innovations are transformed
into viable and applicable technologies that help intended users

Capacity Building

Capacity building efforts of DOST-PCAARRD seek to develop and enhance the R&D capabilities of researchers
and academic or research institutions through graduate assistantships & non-degree trainings
and development and/or upgrading of research facilities

Infrastructure Development

Manpower Development

Policy Research & Advocacy

Analysis of policy concerns and advocacy of science-informed policies ensures that the AANR policy environment is conducive for S&T development
and investments

On to Greater Heights: Boosting the Philippine Bamboo Industry through Policy Action and Advocacy

The PCAARRD-funded project titled “Creating an Enabling Environment for a Vibrant Philippine Bamboo Industry: Addressing Policy Constraints and Information Needs”  has revealed several factors that hinder the development of the country’s bamboo industry. Foremost of which are unfavorable policy environments and lack of reliable and updated bamboo statistics. 

Results showed that eliminating CoV in the bamboo industry will yield greater economic benefits than costs, as evidenced by positive NPVs and BCRs greater than one. Therefore, it is recommended to simplify the regulatory system of harvesting and transporting bamboo products by removing CoV requirements.