This archive report was first published on 5 June 2020.
On a farm in Isinya, Kajiado County, Jovenales Njuguna is working hard to propagate thousands of bamboo seedlings using the tissue culture method. The tiny plants are bamboos, and Njuguna is the founder of the giant bamboo establishment located some 5km off Namanga Road.
His farm has been selected by Bidco Africa to propagate bamboo seedlings as the firm seeks to use the grass to power its factories, thus, creating a guaranteed market for 6,000 metric tonnes of bamboo culms each month.
Published on June 5, 2020, Bidco presently uses over 200 tonnes of macadamia and coffee husks to generate power, however, the supply of both has become erratic and unsustainable, it says.
Working with Kitil Farm, Bidco will contract hundreds of farmers across the country to grow bamboo for its biomass needs.
“Bamboo is an elegant solution for our needs. It’s good for the environment because it rehabilitates the soil and is a clean energy source that reduces our carbon footprint. Bamboo is also a renewable resource. From a sustainability perspective, it’s a win-win,” says Vimal Shah, the CEO Bidco.
The contracted farmers will sign a renewable 10-year contract with Bidco. Bamboo matures from three to five years, with an acre of land capable of accommodating 244 seedlings planted at a spacing of 5 by 5 metre, and with a longevity of up to 50 years.
According to Bidco, farmers would earn an estimated Sh90,000 to Sh120,000 from an acre of bamboo.
