Turning bamboo and dendrocalamus barbatus into 'leverage' for green investment

Thanh Hoa possesses a large area of bamboo and dendrocalamus barbatus raw materials, concentrated mainly in the western mountainous region. While these resources were previously harvested and largely sold as raw materials, they now have an opportunity to be elevated through modern processing technologies, alongside the province’s strategy of selectively attracting investment.

The Staboo Thanh Hoa OSB Bamboo Board Manufacturing Plant project in Thiet Ong commune is clear evidence of this shift. With an investment of approximately VND 3.9 trillion, the project not only opens up opportunities for deep processing of locally sourced raw materials but also points to a model linking businesses, local residents, and authorities, moving toward a green, circular agro-forestry value chain.

From a large raw material area to a green value chain

Thanh Hoa province currently has approximately 76,000 ha of bamboo and dendrocalamus barbatus, mainly distributed across western mountainous communes. This represents an important advantage for developing forestry, processing industries, and other economic sectors based on biomass resources.

However, enormous potential does not necessarily translate into commensurate economic value. For a long time, most harvested bamboo and dendrocalamus barbatus have been sold to traders or transported out of the province for consumption. On-site deep processing remains limited, with total processing capacity currently at only around 200,000 tons of raw materials per year, mainly at small-scale facilities.

The gap between raw material areas and processing capacity is also a potential for Thanh Hoa to attract new investment projects. When businesses establish factories closer to raw material areas, the value of bamboo and dendrocalamus barbatus will no longer stop at raw products but will be extended through multiple stages of processing, creating products with higher added value.

The Staboo Thanh Hoa OSB Bamboo Board Manufacturing Plant project, invested in by Staboo Thanh Hoa JSC, is being implemented in two phases and includes a bamboo chipping and grinding system, boiler, production workshop, raw-material warehouse, product finishing area, and wastewater treatment system. The project broke ground in May 2025 and is being expedited, with operations expected to begin in early 2027.

Notably, the project is not simply about building a manufacturing facility but aims to utilize local raw materials to develop new product lines. OSB bamboo boards are expected to serve as an alternative to natural wood in certain construction and interior fields while meeting the trend toward using environmentally friendly materials.

Under the plan, the plant will use approximately 300,000 tons of raw materials annually, equivalent to about 1,000 tons per day. The raw material area is expected to cover approximately 200,000 ha in Thanh Hoa and several neighboring localities, including Nghe An, Hoa Binh, and Son La.

The large-scale demand for raw materials is expected to create a more stable market for mountainous communities. Instead of relying on traders and fluctuations in the raw-material market, bamboo and dendrocalamus barbatus growers will have greater opportunities to enter long-term supply chains, thereby improving production efficiency and securing livelihoods.

Expanding space for agricultural and environmental investment

The Staboo project offers Thanh Hoa a clear direction for investment promotion, leveraging indigenous resources alongside technology, capital, and markets to create new, higher-value products. This direction is also consistent with the trend toward green agriculture and a circular economy. Rather than simply exploiting resources and selling raw products, investment in deep processing helps extend the value chain, make use of biomass resources, and reduce pressure on natural forest resources.

For the agriculture and environment sector, the value of projects such as Staboo should not be measured solely by their registered investment capital or land-use area. More importantly, such projects can help build linkages, increase the value of agro-forestry products, expand markets, and create sustainable livelihoods for local communities.

Once the plant is put into operation, strong demand for raw materials will drive the development of seed supply, planting, care, harvesting, transportation, pre-processing, and logistics. With proper organization, a raw material area can evolve into a production ecosystem that creates additional jobs and income for local residents.

Against the backdrop of investment attraction in 2026, Thanh Hoa province plans to announce a list of 40 projects for the issuance of investment policy decisions and investment registration certificates, as well as the signing of memorandums of understanding, with total capital of approximately VND 69.085 trillion and a combined area of around 4,131 ha. Notably, alongside industrial and infrastructure projects, the list includes projects involving PET plastic recycling, biomass pellet production, and waste treatment. These are areas aligned with the requirements of green growth, efficient resource use, and reduced environmental impacts.

For localities in the western mountainous region, this represents an important opportunity. The area has extensive planted forests, abundant biomass resources, a local labor force, and significant room for development. If connected with processing technologies and markets, advantages that were once regarded merely as potential can be transformed into genuine competitive strengths.

Mr. Cao Van Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, said, "Starting with bamboo and Dendrocalamus barbatus, the Staboo story is about more than just an investment project. It is also a test of the ability to reorganize the agro-forestry value chain, bring raw materials from mountainous areas into modern production lines, create green products, and expand markets."

Thanh Hoa can turn its advantages of raw materials into a "leverage" for attracting investment if the province continues to prioritize deep-processing projects, clean technologies, energy efficiency, efficient resource use, and strong linkages with raw material areas. Looking further ahead, as projects involving green materials, biomass energy, recycling, waste treatment, and agro-forestry processing develop in tandem, the province can gradually build a green investment ecosystem in which businesses, local residents, and authorities jointly create value.

This is also the path for Thanh Hoa not merely to attract more investment capital but, more importantly, to turn local resources into a driving force for development, increase the value of agro-forestry products, improve livelihoods in mountainous areas, and build a green, circular, and sustainable growth model.

$1 = VND 26,270 - Source: Vietcombank