A 10-hectare Beema bamboo plantation project is being developed by the provincial government of Ilocos Norte in Barangay Camandingan, Batac City, with an initial batch of 10,000 propagules ready for planting this rainy season.

“The area to be planted is ready. We are just waiting for the delivery of the propagules so we could start planting this month or in the first week of July,” Hashler Garalde, bamboo focal person of the Ilocos Norte government, said on Tuesday.

Garalde said the Beema bamboo is a superior clone that is selected from Bambusa balcooa, a higher biomass-yielding species that originated from India.

The Beema bamboo is also one of the fastest-growing plants, expanding at an average of one-and-a-half feet per day under tropical conditions.

Bamboo experts also said the Beema can be an excellent choice for making the environment greener and for mitigating climate change. It also has many uses, such as for the construction of buildings, production of paper pulp, energy power generation, charcoal production, and for making furniture and various handicrafts.

The plantation project is part of the provincial government’s Sustainable Agroforestry Farm Enterprise-Bamboo Business Model (SAFE-BBM) program, done in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, City Government of Batac, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives.

The program aims to enhance livelihood opportunities, increase climate resiliency, and foster ecological conservation across target communities in Ilocos Norte.

Backing the SAFE-BBM program, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on Monday unanimously approved Provincial Resolution No. 2025-05-452, authorizing Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc to enter into a memorandum of understanding with other concerned parties for the project’s implementation.

Aside from growing beema bamboo, BFAR will complement the project with the provision of freshwater prawns locally known as “udang,” which are common in rivers, lakes, and other tributaries in llocos and other parts of Northern Luzon.

As a high-value species, “udang” is exported frozen to the United States and the European markets where its large size and comparatively lower price than the tiger shrimp make it a popular aquatic item. (PNA)