PCAARRD’s Science and Technology Community-Based Farms (STCBF) projects in Regions I, III, and VI have recently completed their first set of capability building activities for bamboo famers.
These capability building activities, particularly conducted in Ilocos Norte, Pampanga, and Iloilo, are considered important for sustaining harvest and abundance of naturally grown bamboo fields in these provinces. These activities could also boost bamboo production and narrow the gap between bamboo demand and supply across regions.
The series of trainings were conducted by the different project teams from the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Pampanga Agricultural College (PAC), and Ecosystem Research and Development Service of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ERDS-DENR) Region VI.
The popeye (pole per year) technology was the common topic discussed in all the trainings carried in the different regions. The popeye technology is done by marking the bamboo culms by age groups and then regulating the number of poles harvested per year.
The MMSU and PAC training teams, on the other hand, added some discussions on nursery establishment, bamboo planting and rehabilitation management, one-node cutting technology, and bamboo business venture.
Meanwhile, the ERDS-DENR Region VI group focused on the making of bamboo furniture and handicrafts, particularly bamboo-woven products or the native “sawali”, deformed bamboo culm production technology, and propagation of ornamental bamboos.
Three hundred forty-two farmers participated in the trainings. Of which, 273 were from 11 municipalities covering 55 barangays in Region I; 50 from five barangays in Region VI; and 19 farmer-members of the Magalang Bamboo Growers Association in Region III.
Representatives from collaborating agencies such as the local government units, Department of Trade and Industry, including the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, were also present in all the trainings conducted in the regions.