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Strategy: Industrial Bamboo in the Mekong sub-region |
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In the sub-region, there are several emerging clusters of processing activity. In Viet Nam, Mekong Bamboo is concentrating on businesses and lead firms around Ha Noi and northern Viet Nam and another cluster in southern Viet Nam. Each zone of processing activity is sourcing from nearby and cross border provincial supply areas from a range of commercial bamboo species.
The Northern Viet Nam Industrial Bamboo Cluster – a leading example
In 2008, there were 104 businesses processing bamboo in this emerging industrial cluster. There are several commercial species groups of bamboo distributed across the provinces of Northern Viet Nam and adjoining Houaphanh, Lao PDR:
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Current premium species - Luong (Dendrocalamus barbatus): 95,000 ha
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Emerging premium species - Tre and Tre Gai (several bambusa sp.): 72,000 ha
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Emerging premium species – Buong, Dien, Mai (other Dendrocalamus sp.): >5,000ha
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Established medium value species - Vau (several Arundinaria sp.; Indosasa sp.): 85,000 ha
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Established lower value species of Nua (Neohouzeana sp.): 290,000 ha
Overall Strategy
Beyond the northern and southern Viet Nam industrial bamboo clusters, bamboo shoots and handicraft supply chains in the region offer additional opportunities for investment and poverty reduction.
Mekong Bamboo’s strategy is to accelerate the development of these bamboo industries and thereby help large numbers of rural farmers and labourers move out of poverty.
1 These are international Millenium Development Goal levels, where the figures are pricing power parity figures , not actual income. In 2008 $1.25 ppp is the equivalent of VND10,800/day or USD 0.63/day in real terms.
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