Bamboo is a natural indigenous raw material that can play a key role in the rejuvenation of the rural economy impacting, both, the agriculture sector and industrial sector. It is the most environment-friendly plant on this planet, being one of the highest carbon sequesters amongst all the floral species, which grows rapidly, matures within a few years and re-grows after harvesting without the need for replanting, making it a perennial ‘renewable’ resource.
Due to current crisis of Coronavirus, the global economy is plunging and the Indian economy has not come out unscathed. The lockdown double impacted the economy – one due to the closing down of all economic activities and
two, due to the flight of labour from cities back to rural areas.
Heavy losses in the industrial, services and agricultural sector due to the lockdown.
The large scale migration from cities to rural area has created immense on the rural economy. While rural India already facing problems of unemployment and underemployment.
The majority of returning migrants are skilled and semi-skilled labours. MGNREGA is unable to offer them opportunities at their skills.
Status of Bamboo in India :
• After amending Section 2(7) of Indian Forest Act, 1927, bamboo is no longer a tree and felled bamboo too is not timber.
• India has highest area (13.96 million ha) under bamboo.
• India has 19% share of the world’s area under bamboo cultivation, its market share in the sector is only 6%.
• India is second richest country, after China, in terms of bamboo diversity with 136 species (125 indigenous and 11 exotic).
• India is more import bamboo and bamboo products than exporter.
• More than 50% of the bamboo species occur in Eastern India – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and West Bengal.
How Bamboo improve India’s Economy ?
• Due to Coronavirus crisis, we have excellent opportunity to think of out-of-the-box ideas and work towards building an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant Bharat)
• We must remember that India was a strong and self-reliant economy in ancient times.
• We must draw lessons from this great economic heritage to grow our footprint in the global economy.
• Bamboo is an indigenous raw material that can play key role in the rejuvenation rural economy impacting, both, the agricultural sector and industrial sector.
• It is most environment-friendly plant on this planet, being one of the highest carbon sequesters among all the floral species.
• It is also control soil erosion, raise the water table and improve fertility of even the most degraded soils.
• Bamboo can combating against desertification by restoring degraded land and protecting forests.
• Bamboo provides farmers a perennial income, allowing for annual harvests at anytime of the year offering them a robust and dependable supplement to an otherwise relatively fickle agriculture.
• Bamboo use to manufacture of furniture, lifestyle and interiors products and is increasingly being used to replace timber.
• It has high potential to generate employment in industry like construction.
• To link producer and industry.
• Promotion of bamboo based products specially handicrafts, State Bamboo Mission shall periodically organized trainings and capacity building of the entrepreneurs in collaboration with Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH).
• Promotion and Development of infrastructure for Bamboo market.
• The restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM) has been approved for implementation across the country for boosting cultivation of quality and appropriate species, treatment, primary processing for supply to our industry so as to make it competitive both in the domestic and global markets.
Key Elements of the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) :
hub and spoke model with backward and forward linkages in the value chain
• Research and Development for sustainable development of bamboo sector beginning with identification of high yielding bamboo germplasm and its improvement for further multiplication, improve planting technique, preservation and treatment of harvested bamboo, processing, product development and marketing.
• Establishment of new Nurseries including high-tech nurseries with tissue culture lab to produce quality planting material.
• Raising high yielding bamboo plantations on commercial basis.
• Pest and Disease Management of bamboo.
• Sharing best agronomic practices for bamboo cultivation by the farmers.
• Skill development / capacity building and Human Resource Development of farmers, field functionaries, entrepreneurs and others.
• New marketing strategy for bamboo and establishment of Bamboo Markets, Bamboo Bazaar and retail outlets.
• Promotion of bamboo based Industry.
• Involvement of cooperatives and other federated groups.
• Product design and development and production of high value bamboo products.
• Meticulous monitoring, evaluation and reporting, Database generation, compilation and analysis.
Bamboo should become a tool not only in poverty elimination but also in prosperity accumulation.
Bamboo is humble grass, also known as green gold, not only potential of rejuvenating the rural economy but is also a key resource for building climate resilience and catalysing an inclusive green economy. Bamboo can become the cornerstone of the circular economy and offers India the opportunity to leapfrog to an inclusive green economy.
References
Yojana
PIB
MoA&FW