Rattan plantation: Nigeria’s untapped goldmine

The Raw Material Research Development Council (RMRDC) says its recent research has shown huge opportunities in the rattan plantation subsector for both farmers and the country as a whole. But the Director-General of the Council, Professor Hussaini D. Ibrahim, told selected journalists during an interactive session in Abuja that the sector seems unpopular even among […]

The Raw Material Research Development Council (RMRDC) says its recent research has shown huge opportunities in the rattan plantation subsector for both farmers and the country as a whole. But the Director-General of the Council, Professor Hussaini D. Ibrahim, told selected journalists during an interactive session in Abuja that the sector seems unpopular even among stakeholders.

You recently made open your findings on the relatively unknown rattan plantation in Nigeria. You said the subsector alone is capable of uplifting thousands of rural farmers and also be a source of earnings for the country. Can you give us brief insights into the rattan plantation?

Rattan (from the Malay rotan) is the collective name for the roughly 600 species of palms in the Calameae family. It is the Malay local name for climbing palms. Most rattans are forest species. They are climbers that use thorny stems and leaves to hold on to their supporting structure. They are spiny palms found in the tropics and subtropics and are the source of cane for the rattan industry. Most of the canes originated mostly from Southeast Asia and Africa.

How is the availability of rattan and the industry’s development in Nigeria?

Presently, the Nigerian rattan industry is not as developed as obtains in most parts of Asia. However, if adequately managed and overhauled, it can contribute about N30 billion in foreign exchange to the economy on an annual basis. Given the employment generation potential of rattan harvesting, transportation and processing, several studies have been carried out on rattan occurrence, harvesting and utilization in Nigeria.

The Raw Material Research and Development Council in collaboration with the Department of Wood Products Engineering, Faculty of Technology, University of Ibadan, carried out a national survey on rattan resources occurrence, availability, distribution and utilization in Nigeria. The report indicated that 10 species of rattan were identified.

The study also indicated that rattan is widely distributed in the mangrove and high forest vegetation zones of the country.

The report also indicated that the major products of rattan in Nigeria are chairs, tables, beds and other fanciful items which if improved upon can be major export items from the country. It further highlighted that the rattan processing stages in Nigeria are mainly peeling, splitting, steaming, dyeing, sanding and finishing.

Specifically, how do you think our farmers in particular and the country in general can benefit from rattan plantation development?

Development of the rattan sector is one of the most enterprising solutions to poverty alleviation, employment and foreign exchange generation in Nigeria. The optimal development of the rattan industry has a multiplicity of advantages. Among this is rural development as rattan harvesting is a rural-based activity. Empowerment of the collectors, who are mostly rural farmers, will significantly impact the rural economy. Another inbuilt advantage is employment generation. Optimal development of the industry will substantially increase its employment generation potentials. Presently, the rattan-based economy in Nigeria employs about half a million people.

According to FAO, the industry can employ more than 1.5 million people in the upstream and downstream sections of the industry. Likewise, Nigeria can generate more than 20 million USD from the export of exquisite rattan furniture. Consequently, the council will like to use this opportunity to encourage harvesters who are mostly farmers to be involved in plantation development.

 Does your council have any specific plan for the industry at the moment?

In Nigeria, rattan development is a mandate of the National Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) but the council will be strengthening its collaboration with NIFOR. This will be to intensify research in rattan silviculture and ecology, seedlings development, plantation technology, development of innovative technologies for low-cost mechanization and automation of rattan processing lines.

Emphasis will also be placed on resource assessment, conservation and innovative design of products. As part of the collaboration, we would also investigate the properties of rattan species to facilitate the assessment of the utilization potential of currently non-commercial species and protection of rattan products with environmentally acceptable preservatives.