Catalog

Ma Bamboo

Soil Saver, Income Raiser

By Carolyn Dedolph (cdedolph@adb.org)
External Relations Officer

FAST GROWER. Within two years of planting Ma bamboo on denuded hillsides, farmers can begin to sell the shoots

Every time it rained, the farmers of Shi Gu Town in Yongchun County would watch the sandy soil—and their livelihoods—wash down the denuded hillsides. Although they did not resort to selling their blood like the people in Tu Xing, they had difficulty eking a living out of their sloping fields, which had suffered from years of poor cropping practices. In 1996 the average annual household income in the village was 1,800 yuan (Y), with a third of the households earning less than Y1,000.

A fast-growing variety of bamboo has changed their lives for the better. Known for its bountiful shoot production, Ma bamboo has nearly stopped the severe soil erosion and more than doubled farmers’ incomes.

Ma bamboo, which grows to about 13 meters, has many uses: its young shoots can be eaten fresh or be canned, its stems are processed into incense sticks and bamboo baskets, and its leaves are used as wrappers. By the third year, 15–20 kilograms (kg) of young shoots and 30 kg of poles may be harvested from every clump.

“Bamboo is more profitable than other crops,” farmer Gao Wen Xi says as he cuts grass for green manure. Within two years of planting the bamboo, he was selling the shoots to a nearby canning facility and the stems (poles) to a local pulp mill.

He has invested some of his earnings from the bamboo into rice, pigs, and an orange orchard, increasing his family’s total income by Y7,000–8,000 a year. He and his wife have also used the money to build a house and pay for their two children’s education.

Mr. Gao is not alone. Many other farmers report that their incomes have increased dramatically because of Ma bamboo and their diversification into orchard crops and livestock. In the local schools, teachers say they have noticed that students now have more money to buy paper and supplies and—even more significantly—many are pursuing education beyond the compulsory level.

A few years ago the Rural Economic Cooperation organized farmers from 119 poor rural households to plant 50 hectares of the denuded hillsides to Ma bamboo, which was determined to be the most appropriate crop for the conditions. The land was divided into small plots and farmers were trained in soil stewardship.

In 1996 only a third of the hillsides had vegetation—now about 85 percent is covered. According to project officials, annual soil erosion has significantly decreased from 4,235 tons/square kilometer (km2) to 436 tons/km2. The Ma bamboo project has created 290 jobs and has been the foundation for developing the Ma bamboo industry in Yongchun County. What started as a small area only a few years ago has spread to 2,866 hectares, with Ma bamboo now considered one of the county’s six major industries. Farmers are intercropping the bamboo with fruit trees, shrubs, and grasses to effectively control erosion and generate more income. As a part of the project, four kilometers of road were laid and a water tank and manure pit built. The total investment amounts to Y435,800, including an ADB loan as part of the Fujian Soil Conservation and Rural Development Project.

Farmers are paying back the loan according to a production-oriented schedule. The ADB funding was used to set up the nursery, construct civil works and the plantation, and introduce new technologies. As of February 2001, the total income generated from the project had reached Y213,000.

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