The Aed District Governor in Houaphanh Province has rescinded the ban on the harvesting of bamboo shoots within the district, which was issued by the Office of Agriculture and Forestry in Aed District on 23 August.
The notice banning all commercial activities involving bamboo shoots in the 77 villages of the Aed district, from their collection to their sale, was met with public criticism and opposition.
To clarify the notice, Thongsouk Somphavanh, the Aed District Governor, said on Lao National Radio last Friday that the ban was issued because of concerns regarding the sustainable use of bamboo shoots. Since a majority of locals were cutting wild bamboo trees, authorities were apprehensive that without proper management, this could lead to rampant deforestation in the area.
Thongsouk revealed that the high price of dried bamboo shoots this year, which is more than double last year’s price, has led to a sharp increase in the number of people harvesting bamboo shoots without proper permissions, both for consumption and for sale.
Therefore, the Aed district administration advised the Office of Agriculture and Forestry to determine the harvesting zones and periods for each village and to register all dried bamboo shoot buyers, both domestic and foreign, for better management.
However, Thongsouk clarified that the district authorities had miscommunicated the instructions, which resulted in an incorrect announcement that caused public confusion. He said that the notice did not intend to completely ban all bamboo shoots production.
“To rectify the situation, the district administration has rescinded the notice, and the district government will now work with village administrations to manage bamboo harvesting, including determining the zones and periods for harvesting,” informed Thongsouk.
He also informed that businesses and individuals who purchase bamboo shoots must obtain permission from the district administration and follow the rules and regulations for forest management.
“This is to ensure more orderly procurement of bamboo shoots within Aed District and prevent price gouging in the procurement process,” said Thongsouk.
