In a bid to help local artisans find new sources of raw materials, the DOST- Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) will be starting this year a research project on forest vines that can be used for handicraft production.
Titled “Biological Studies of Economically Important Forest Vines in Camarines Sur and Albay Provinces”, the research will determine the volume and location of significant forest vines in the Bicol region. It will also study the factors affecting their natural growth and regeneration.
“The supply of raw materials for handicraft production cannot rely on natural regeneration. Nursery or plantation establishment is necessary to support the needs of the handicraft industry”, explained DOST-FPRDI’s For. Jennifer M. Conda. She added, “This study will also evaluate the nutritional requirement, preferred environmental condition and appropriate propagation techniques of forest vines.”
According to Conda, forest vines are among the least studied plant groups despite their promising use as raw materials for handcrafted items. Propagation and use of these materials for handicraft production can be an added source of income particularly of rural and forest dwellers.
The three-year project will be funded by the DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD). ### (Apple Jean Martin- de Leon, 26 January 2018)
