by Robert Manyara
KITALE, Kenya, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan environmental experts are encouraging farmers in the northwest region to engage in bamboo farming and reap from a windfall occasioned by rising demand in overseas markets.
The experts told a recent forum that the region has favorable soils and expansive land for growing bamboos, which helps soil and water conservation.
"There is high demand for bamboo sticks for various use and we are encouraging our farmers to venture in bamboo farming to reap from the huge profits," said Trans-Nzoia County Ecosystem Conservator Nicodemus Mwatika.
He said that Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has launched bamboo growing campaigns in the county to encourage farmers to embrace the venture.
Mwatika said the forestry agency has partnered with farmers' groups to set up bamboo nurseries in the counties.
"We are working closely with individuals and groups to establish bamboo nurseries as part of the strategies to promote its cultivation. We are also providing technical support to farmers willing to grow the tree species," Mwatika said.
So far, the KFS has planted bamboo seedlings at Saboti and Suam forests, located in the North Rift region.
"We have planted over five hectares of land at Saboti and Suam forests. This is part of the campaigns to promote bamboo growing," Mwatika told Xinhua.
Farmers who have embraced bamboo in some counties are already earning good returns, he said.
Bamboo takes about four years to mature and has plenty of uses including construction, charcoal, pulp, boards, cloth, furniture, food, fuel, medicine, utensils, matchsticks, toothpicks and craft.
In construction, bamboo can be used to build most sections of a house and as flooring it provides a more flexible, smooth, bright and stable alternative to wood. It also has high resistance and insulation qualities.
The majority of the farmers in the region grow maize, the country's stable food, but declining production has frustrated farmers, forcing them to shift to other crops such as sugarcane or dairy farming.
