Production and Marketing of Bamboo Products in Lampang Province

Abstract

This study examined the production and marketing of bamboo products and the problems in bamboo-product enterprises in Lampang province. Data were gathered by interviewing 17 entrepreneurs. The respondents were classified as: 4 food-stick producers, 7 food-stick and chopstick producers, 5 food-stick, chopstick and toothpick producers, and one incense-stick producer. The production process of each product type was similar; the raw material used was Dendrocalamus strictus, which was graded by desired length called line wood. In 2007, the quantity of line wood utilization was 6 883 823 kg. The finished products had rather fixed designs with few differences. Only 35.29% of total producers had their own brand but they were using corrugated paper boxes and sacking for packaging, rather than more beautiful packaging designs. In 2007, the production of bamboo products in Lampang was 6 258 025 kg that generated income to producers 109 187 086 baht. It was found that production problems included: a shortage of labor during the paddy growing season from June to August; various cultural ceremonies of communities; and insect disturbance. Raw materials and products were stored in warehouses for more than three months and the quality of the ordered bamboos was not uniform. Marketing problems were caused by the uncertainty of bamboo product prices from each factory, depending on the ordering companies. There was no diversity in the designs of the bamboo products to attract buyer interest. Most suppliers were factories, which produced and sent products to permanent customers. The suppliers had insufficient budget for advertising to provide marketing information to the customers. Thus, relevant government agencies should support the establishment of the Society of Bamboo Product Entrepreneurs in order to increase the bargaining power of the enterprise. Government agencies should be the center for production and marketing information and for the provision of knowledge to the producers, to enable them to produce good quality products that command an increased market price. Moreover, the government agencies, with responsibility for bamboo utilization should conduct extension programs on bamboo planting in residential areas or on cultivated lands in order to have sufficient resource to respond to new demand for bamboo in the future and to reduce bamboo collection from natural forests.

Keywords: production, marketing, bamboo products, Lampang province