Bamboo hat makers in Wuntho earn extra income

The local people from Khat Cho village, Wuntho township, Sagaing region are making bamboo hats on a commercial scale throughout the year.
The bamboo hats are used to protect the people against the sunray and the rain. First, they drown the bamboo in the water.
Then, the bamboo is cut into strips. The hats are then woven with the use of bamboo strips. By doing so, the hats become more popular because they are more stylish and useful.
The bamboo hats with a painting are sold for K 900 per one piece, while the raw bamboo hats are sold for K500 per one. There are also the costs for necessary inputs to make the bamboo hats, such as bamboo strips, threads and plastics.
The bamboo hats made from Khat Cho village are lasting longer because they are woven with the plastic sheets put inside to make them waterproof. Then, the bamboo makers are sending the hats to Kachin State, Sagaing Region and Mandalay Region.
The Khat Cho villagers make bamboo hats as their family business to earn extra income in monsoon paddy cultivation season and the post-harvest season. — Myint Tun Min (Kawlin)/GNLM