Menkop Teten To Develop Global Potential Of Garut Bamboo Products

Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

JAKARTA - Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki said he would develop the global potential of bamboo products from Garut Regency, West Java, with relevant stakeholders including the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Trade.

"I will contact other relevant ministers for cooperation in developing bamboo products from Selaawi, Garut," he said at the opening ceremony of the 2021 Selaawi Bamboo Festival in Garut, quoted by Antara in a written statement, Sunday, December 19.

Bamboo is said to be one of the plants that has high economic value. Moreover, he continued, many handicrafts made from bamboo which when processed can have a higher selling value.

In addition, bamboo is also considered as a non-timber forest product (NTFP) whose production can reach 90 percent of the value of forest products.

Meanwhile, said the Coordinating Minister, wood, which has been identical to the main forestry product, actually only contributed 10 percent of the production of forestry products.

"More than that, ecologically, bamboo can be a solution to environmental threats and the impact of climate change," said Coordinating Minister Teten.

He gave an example in China, making a major contribution to increasing farmers' income by 28.4 percent and playing an important role in industrial development in rural areas.

Because the potential for bamboo productivity in Indonesia is four times greater than China's, Menkop Teten said that the income of domestic farmers could be higher.

The Coordinating Minister said the government had prepared a number of stimulus and a healthy business ecosystem to support the recovery and economic transformation of MSMEs.

Starting from Productive Assistance for Micro Enterprises (BPUM), Cooperative Revolving Fund Management Agency, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (LPDB-KUMKM), People's Business Credit (KUR), partnerships in the value chain of SOEs and large businesses, to certainty of product absorption through government spending. (central and regional), BUMN, private sector and society.

Various types of handicrafts made from bamboo are produced by craftsmen in Selaawi, including furniture, furniture, kitchen utensils, lampshades, baskets, bird cages, and cafe or restaurant ornaments.

Bamboo products from Selaawi can also penetrate international markets, such as Asian, Australian and European countries.

For Asia, countries that have become customers include Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea. In fact, for the past three years, lampshades have been routinely sent to restaurants in Singapore.

He expects the Bamboo Creative Center or Selaawi bamboo creative center to be an example of creating new innovations for processed bamboo products (added value). "So, it can increase people's income," he said.