WELL, I’ll be. The Negrense sugar industry are up in arms against the alleged substitution of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
The pro-Duterte group Kilusang Pagbabago-Negros Island Region (NIR) charged HFCS importers of “economic sabotage” affecting millions of Filipinos –mostly stakeholders – of the sugar industry.
The group will push for its review and regulations of importation in favor of the small sugar farmers.
Judging from those who are very vocal against HFCS importers were the National Federation of Sugar Planters, Confederation of Sugar Producers, and United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines – whose representatives and members are not exactly small farmers.
Be that as it may, another grass species is slowly gaining ground in the province. The news on this species is very subdued, buried in the inside pages.
Yet, bamboo as a raw material for an emerging industry is slowly making waves. Call it a sunrise industry.
Lately, SunStar Bacolod featured a bamboo training on bamboo propagation and management.
Marjorie Cajeven of the University of the Philippines-Visayas, the resource speaker, discussed the potentials of bamboo, and the alternative livelihood it can offer. It’s for nothing that bamboo is called a tree – or more accurately called – a grass for life.
“Bamboo known as the tree of life has multiple use, not just for toothpicks, matches or fences,” said Ms Cajeven, adding that with the use of modern technology, the commodity can be used for furniture and interior design materials.
Isabela Mayor Enrique Montilla III, who met with Cajeven and the participating stakeholders, lauded the initiative, citing that there are about 20,000 bamboo plants in the locality. These can be utilized for various development projects, Montilla said, adding that the town also has available areas potential for bamboo propagation.
Bamboo is nothing to sneeze at. Ms. Cavejen is right. To use the non-timber forest product for making toothpicks, matches, fences or sticks for inasal is so low-end.
China generates $20 billion from its bamboo industry. Compare that with the country’s bamboo-based furniture industry which has a growth rate of 15 percent per year, with export revenues amounting to $3.2 million per year.
The bamboo-based handicraft industry has a growth rate of 7.0 percent with export revenues of $8 billion dollars per year.
Philippines is the fifth largest bamboo exporter in the world, tailing Vietnam. As of 2010, the market needs 575,000 handicraft poles and 3.5 million furniture poles.
So quo vadis, Negros Occidental? A sunrise, or a sunset, industry?
(bqsanc@yahoo.com)