4 July
The current shortage of raw bamboo has sent its price spiralling up in the market, and this is causing problems for weavers producing bamboo chairs, said a bamboo chair weaver from Ohn Chaw village of Patheingyi Township.
“The raw materials used for making bamboo products are becoming scarce due to increased felling of bamboo shoots, and this has led to a rise in bamboo prices in the market,” said U Maung Aye, a bamboo chair weaver from the village.
Bamboo chairs are usually woven in apartments beside the Mandalay-PyinOoLwin road in Ohn Chaw Village. After weaving, the chairs are sent to shops along the Mandalay-PyinOo Lwin road. Single-seater chairs fetch K2,500, and double-seater chairs K4,500.
“Although raw bamboo prices are higher, the shops have not increased the price of bamboo chairs. We have no option but to send bamboo products to shops because there is no place to sell these products along the road,” said Ko Lin Lin.
Bamboo chair sales are mostly the highest in the summer season, compared to the rainy and winter seasons. Earlier, raw bamboo prices ranged between K150 and K700, depending on the kind of bamboo, but now the rate has increased to K300-K1,000. With raw bamboos becoming harder to find, the number of weavers making chairs from them is also declining, according to bamboo chair weavers.—Tinzar Hlaing (IPRD)
(Translated by La Wonn)
