FLASHBACK TO MINISTERIAL WORKSHOP
Republic of Burundi acceeds to the INBAR treaty
HON. MICHAEL STERN (IN PICTURE ON THE LEFT) ATTENDED INBAR’S MINISTERIAL WORKSHOP ON BAMBOO AND RATTAN SECTOR DEVELOPMENT HELD IN CHINA IN MAY 2010
During the Ministerial Workshop the Republic of Burundi became the latest addition to INBAR’s network of member countries on Thursday, 27 May 2010, bringing to 14 the number of INBAR’s Africa member nations. During the ceremony at INBAR headquarters attended by the Burundi ambassador to Beijing, H.E. Gabriel Sabushimike and Burundi’s Minister of Vocational Education and Literacy, Mrs Rose Gashiru, Dr. Coosje Hoogendoorn, INBAR’s Director General, Mme Jiang Zehui, Co-chair of INBAR’s Board of Trustees, and Mr Denis Uwimana of the Rwanda embassy in Beijing (acting on behalf of the Chair of the INBAR council) all welcomed Burundi to INBAR.
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY, INVESTMENT AND COMMERCE IN JAMAICA, THE HON. MICHAEL STERN VISITS A BAMBOO FLOOR AND MAT MAKING FACTORY IN BEIJING DURING THE MINISTERIAL WORKSHOP ON BAMBOO AND RATTAN SECTOR DEVELOPMENT HELD IN CHINA IN MAY 2010
Although a great deal of Burundi’s bamboo forests have been cleared, some still exist along waterways at around 1200m altitude and in the northeast of the country. Burundi is known only to have just one species of bamboo - Arundinaria alpina, sometimes referred to as Yushania alpina (Alpine bamboo), though it is likely that others have been introduced. Alpine bamboo is traditionally harvested by the Batwa tribe in Kyanza province in the north east of the country, but bamboo is only used for home and farm use with very limited value addition. The potential is huge, and INBAR will be working with the government of Burundi to develop projects and partnerships that trial and demonstrate that potential.
