The Rwandan government has just given its approval to the Chinese company East Africa Bamboo Forest Industry for the creation of 2,300 hectares of bamboo in the districts of Kigali, Bugesera, Ngoma and Rwamagana. This project is in line with the Rwandan government's policy to reduce deforestation by using bamboo for various uses.
The bamboo sector is developing in Rwanda. The Rwandan Ministry of Environment and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) have just signed an agreement with East Africa Bamboo Forest Industry for the creation of 2,300 hectares of bamboo in the districts of Kigali, Bugesera, Ngoma and Rwamagana.
The validation of the Chinese company’s offer follows an agreement signed in 2019 between the Rwandan Ministry of Environment and China Bamboo Aid Project, a Chinese bamboo promotion agency. As part of its new mission in Rwanda, East Africa Bamboo Forest Industry will promote bamboo through the creation of a processing plant in the district of Kicukiro, near the city of Kigali.
The facility will handle bamboo harvesting in the districts of Kigali, Bugesera, Ngoma and Rwamagana. This raw material will be used to produce toilet paper and other sanitary products, as well as construction materials such as marine panels and plywood. These products will be destined for the local and international market.
As part of the agreement signed in 2019, the two parties also agreed to introduce edible bamboo species into Rwanda as vegetables. These young shoots can be processed into other food products. Beyond the nutritional aspect, the cultivation and processing of bamboo could become a sustainable alternative in the face of deforestation in Rwanda.
Jean Marie Takouleu
