China: China's sweet bamboo products sprout globally.

Storyline China's sweet bamboo products sprout globally Sweet bamboo shoots and related products from Yingde City of south China's Guangdong Province are taking root in overseas markets. At a local plant, fresh bamboo shoots are processed into canned products after being steamed, cleaned and sterilized. In recent years, the company has upgraded its assembly lines and fine-tuned its products to satiate overseas palates in competitive markets. Jiang Sina, General Manager, Guangdong Qingyuan Nongtou Bamboo Industry Co., Ltd.: "We broke into the U.S. market at the start of this year, and we're now shipping two to three containers a month." Meanwhile, some bamboo processing firms are capitalizing on demand for non-edible bamboo-based products. This company turns bamboo waste into fully biodegradable disposable cups and meal boxes, which are gaining popularity. Yuan Xiuping, Assistant to Chairman, Guangdong Zhushengsheng Technology Co., Ltd.: "We recycle these bamboo offcuts at a price of over 300 yuan (44 U.S. dollars) a ton. We turn them into fully biodegradable disposable cups and meal boxes which can sell for 18,500 yuan (2,700 U.S. dollars) a ton. This year, we have expanded into European markets such as France, Germany and Spain." Customs data shows that exports of sweet bamboo shoots and related products from Yingde City reached over 3,500 tons in the first seven months of this year, up over 28 percent year on year. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]