News Clips

Addis Ababa, August 13, 2007 (Source: ENA) – State Minister of Trade and Industry, Taddesse Haile said the government has attached due attention to bamboo plantation since the sector has been creating employment and generating income.

Speaking at the workshop organized by the East African Bamboo Project (EABP) under the theme “Development of Bamboo Supply Chain and Marketing Strategies” here on Monday, Taddesse said the government has focused on the expansion and technology-backed bamboo production.

The minister said since the sector generates employment and income and therefore is given expected to expand development and domestic market access.

Though it is a fast-growing renewable resource, which makes Ethiopia prepared to stimulate growth and development by transferring and adopting technically-feasible, commercially-viable technology, the minister stressed that bamboo production is an untapped sector in Ethiopia.

Hence, Taddesse said significant steps are in progress to upgrade the capacity and technical facilities of the Federal Micro and Small Enterprise Development Agency through procurement of bamboo processing machineries, hand operating machines manual tools and training of trainers.

Furthermore, the minister said in supporting improved income from bamboo manufacturing and creating employment opportunities, different practical trainings have been conducted at grass root level to farmers, rural and urban entrepreneurs.

The EMFNS’s Director General, Seyoum Bereded indicated on the occasion that the bamboo plant is rich in minerals and vitamins, with high nutritional value.

Seyoum used the opportunity to call upon the public to plant bamboo at the premises of residential houses as part of the millennium festivities.

Seyoum said so far 600 million indigenous trees seedlings have been transplanted nationwide under the “Two Tree for 2000″ campaign mapped out to rehabilitate the depleted forest resource in the country.

Source: Ethiopia News Agency (ENA)