Dr. Paulo Lyimo who is an academic member of the Department of Ecosystems and Conservation is among winners of the SUA research and innovation support (SUARIS) 2nd phase competitive research and innovation grants for year 2021/2022 for SUA staff. The title of the research project is, “Enhancing commercialization of bamboo farming for poverty alleviation and conservation in the Southern Highland of Tanzania” The proposed amount is Tanzanian shillings 30,000,000. The project is expected to cover Southern Highland of Tanzania including Iringa, Njombe and Mbeya.
Bamboo is an important non-timber forest product and a major wood substitute. It can be processed and fabricated into different products as a substitute for wood products. Bamboo may replace wood in many industrial applications and thereby contribute to alleviating deforestation and in turn encourage the restoration of tropical forests. It has tremendous potential for socio-economic and environmental development. However, utilization rate of bamboo has remained low although most existing bamboo species are abundant in the Southern Highland of Tanzania. In some other parts of the world, bamboo is used for a variety of products including housing, furniture, pulp and paper, and is becoming an important substitute for wood in flooring and other indoor products because of its beautiful stripes, colour and other desirable attributes. There is strong evidence from China that the bamboo sector can be a pioneering industry for widespread poverty reduction and economic development in Tanzania. The impact is not limited to those within the sector; bamboo can be an engine for growth for the development of a vibrant local economy. As the first trial to replicate the success of bamboo industry of the Southern Highland, this project will serve as a model to be leveraged for large scale poverty reduction in other parts of the country.
This project aimed to develop a value chain for increasing the commercialization of bamboo farming through enhancement of bamboo smallholder farmers, Small and Medium Enterprises for poverty alleviation and conservation in the Southern Highland of Tanzania. Specifically, this project will build capacity of bamboo smallholder farmers and Small and Medium Enterprises on bamboo value chain; facilitate bamboo smallholders to establish bamboo commercial farming; improve processing facilities of bamboo resources and strengthening research and development on bamboo value chain in the Southern Highland of Tanzania.
For more information please contact,
Department of Ecosystems and Conservation,
College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism,
PO Box 3010, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania
paulo.lyimo@sua.ac.tz
+255 754 216 031
