FORIG to Produce Bamboo Paper

The Ministry of Environment Science and Technology would provide financial support to the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) to establish a bamboo factory for paper production, Ms Shirley Ayittey, the Minister, has said.

FORIG's has made a technological breakthrough in the use of bamboo to produce paper.

Ms Ayittey said it was gratifying to note that the institute has the technical expertise and capacity to undertake this commercial venture.

The Minister was speaking after inspecting samples of paper produced from bamboo at the chemistry laboratory of FORIG during a tour on Tuesday. Glue and other adhesives produced from cassava flour for the wood industry and other products from edible local plants were also on display.

Ms Ayittey spoke of the government's concern about environmental waste problems caused by the use of plastic bags and said if there was an opportunity to exploit the benefit of the bamboo tree to salvage the situation that should be good news to all.

She said the government was determined to ensure that useful research findings are adopted.

The Minister said promoting the use of cassava flour to make adhesives could help to save the nation huge sums of foreign exchange used to import such products. She said the government recognized FORIG as an important agent for scientific and industrial advance, especially in the area of forest cover.

Ms Ayittey said the government was giving serious thought to the idea of making sure that all government contracts, especially in the building and construction sectors, contain about 60 per cent of materials produced locally.

This way, local technological innovations would be utilized to bring down cost and generate jobs.

Ms Ayittey said there was a lot Ghanaian scientists could do to propel the growth of the nation and urged them to always come together and share ideas with the private sector to ensure that they benefited from scientific research findings.

Source: GNA