Feasibility Study on Establishment of Bamboo Shoot Products Plant in Chiang Mai Thailand | 20/11/2024

The project divided into two phases. The activities of the first phase was to investigate the type, quality and quantity of bamboo shoot in the Chiang-Dao district. At least three types of bamboo shoot had potential for commercial production in the next study. Local villagers in the area of study already had basic processing knowledge to preserve the bamboo shoot (sterilized product) but the production was only for consumption, not for sale. This was important in the sense that if commercial scale production was to be achieved cottage factory with an appropriate technology must be provided. We strongly recommend that the villagers had high potential to establish and to run the bamboo-shoot products plant cottage industry, especially for sterilized product. At present, we have completely designed the plant cottage industry with an appropriate technology based on the standard of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulation law of Thailand and also the international regulation of HACCP.

Sterilized bamboo is normally served in a high value market in and the demand for the product is still high, especially during the out of bamboo season. To increase value added of bamboo shoot, the product development section was also established for this purpose. We designed to develop new product for the cottage factory, which was crispy bamboo chips (like potato chips). However, normal production process for potato chip was not suitable for bamboo chip and therefore specific technique, vacuum deep-fried method had to be applied to the process. This new product aimed to serve as a health food snack containing high fiber content.

Another developed product was a freeze-dried bamboo shoot. The shoot was preserved as a dried product with a shelf life of more than 3 years in normal packaging under normal condition. Before cooking dried bamboo was soaked in water for a while after which its character would be recovered to that of the original shoot. This product was for exporting.

In the second phase, the factories of novel bamboo product and sterilized product were designed. Financial analysis was also made at the end of the project. The three kinds of product offered an opportunity for good investment with high benefit and short payback period.