50,000ha of bamboo plantation needed to meet commercial demand

KUCHING: Sarawak may need to increase its commercial bamboo plantation target to 50,000 hectares to meet growing industrial demand.

Deputy Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Minister, Datuk Len Talif Salleh said the existing target of 30,000 hectares by 2030 may no longer be sufficient to support the industry’s expansion.

He said one company alone requires 30,000 hectares of bamboo plantations, indicating the need to expand cultivation beyond the current target.

“I was told just one company needs 30,000. This means Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) has to raise the bar to 50,000 for the total state to plant bamboo.

“More so, if you talk about setting up pulp and paper, 50,000 is nothing. You have to talk about 200,000 if you’re talking about other products,” he said.

Len delivers his speech at Sarawak Bamboo Day 2026.

He said this when officiating at the Sarawak Bamboo Day 2026 seminar and Bamboo Bazaar at The Waterfront Hotel here today.

Len said only 5,143.83 hectares had been planted with bamboo as of September this year, involving 18 commercial companies and 200 community participants.

This, he said, leaves nearly 25,000 hectares to be developed to meet the existing commercial plantation target by 2030.

“I’m sure this is doable and achievable if each and every one of you synergises and works together to ensure this can be achieved by 2030.

“In terms of area, we should not have any problem because, to date, we have surveyed more than 1.2 million hectares of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land.

“Take away one million hectares for oil palm and other things, and you still have about 200,000 hectares available for bamboo plantations,” he said.

As such, he stressed that the state must intensify its planting efforts to support the industry’s long-term growth and ensure sufficient raw material supply for future industrial development.

He said bamboo has a wide range of industrial applications, citing Market Research Future data which valued the global bamboo and bamboo products market at nearly USD70 billion in 2025.

These applications include pulp and paper, packaging, reconstruction panels, flooring, furniture and textiles.

“For micro, small and medium enterprises, bamboo can be utilised to produce handicrafts, toys, souvenirs like what we have seen down there, and ornamental products.

“This can significantly elevate household incomes for local communities, particularly those in rural areas,” he said.

Len (third left) looks at traditional bamboo handicrafts on display at the bazaar.