President, Bamboo and Rattan Farmers Association of Nigeria (RARFAN), John Ajie Ogwu, on Thursday commended the Federal Government to encourage the cultivation of bamboo to boost the economy.
Ogwu also tasked the public and private sectors with massive planting of bamboo and rattan.
“The forest is depleting very fast. Therefore, forest land areas are reducing and bamboo is a very, very good alternative to timber because it grows very fast. It takes the average wood five to 10 years to mature. But in two years, bamboo has matured, so it’s a very good replacement for timber,” he said.
He said the association, in collaboration with the Department of Forestry, Ministry of Environment; the Raw Materials Research and Development Council and the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria would host a sensitization programme on bamboo cultivation in Abuja.
Ogwu said the two-day event, billed for next Tuesday and Wednesday, would be held in commemoration of the 2022 World Bamboo Day.
