BAMBOO FOR INTEGRATED RURAL
DEVELOPMENT
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BAMBOO FOR INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Introduction
Diminishing resources and availability of forest wood and conservation concerns have highlighted the need to identify substitutes
for traditional timbers. It is in this context bamboo assumes special significance.
Bamboo is a versatile, strong, renewable and environment-friendly material. It is a member of the grass family,Gramineae and the
fastest growing woody plant on earth. Most bamboo species produce mature fibre in 3 years, sooner than any tree species.
Some bamboos grow up to 1 metre a day, with many reaching culm lengths of 25 metres or more. Bamboo can be grown quickly
and easily, and sustainably harvested in 3 to 5 years cycles. It grows on marginal and degraded land, elevated ground, along field
bunds and river banks. It adapts to most climatic conditions and soil types, acting as a soil stabilizer, an effective carbon sink and
helping to counter the greenhouse effect.
In many areas, bamboo resources have dwindled due to overexploitation and poor management. This issue needs to be
addressed through well-organised cultivation, on the lines of homestead, small-holder and plantation-based cultivation. The role
of bamboo in community agroforestry as a means of generating income for the rural poor is very important.
Production of bamboo is only the starting point. The real benefits accrue from value-added products. Handicrafts (mats, baskets,
tools, toys and utensils) and furniture are established possibilities, produced in finished form or supplied as components to small
enterprises for further processing (for example, supply of mats for production of bamboo mat board). There are emerging
industrial and large-scale applications too in the manufacture of wood substitutes and composites, energy, charcol and activated
carbon. Building and structural components represent vast possibility for enterprise, value addition, income and employment.
Bamboo and Global Challenges
Bamboo is well placed to address four major global challenges :
Shelter security, through the provision of safe, secure, durable and affordable housing and community buildings.
Livelihood security, through the generation of employment in planting, primary and secondary processing, construction, craft
and the manufacture of value-added products.
Ecological security, by conservation of forests through timber substitution, as an efficient carbon sink, and as an alternative to
non-biodegradable and high-embodied energy materials such as plastics and metals.
Food security through bamboo-based agro-forestry systems, by maintaining the fertility of adjoining agricultural lands, and as a
direct food source – example,edible bamboo shoots.
Planning Commission's Focus on Bamboo
Bamboo, traditionally considered as the "poor man's timber" in India, is under consideration as a major export item by the Indian
Government for a global market valued at Rs.500 billion (US$ 11.9 billion) and producing as much as 20 million tonnes of varied
products a year from China alone.
India almost 20 years behind China in commercial production, produces only 3 million tonnes a year. The government has lately
come to regard bamboo as an easily manageable export item that provides high yields, has lots of uses and has the potential to
provide employment for millions, and thus stem rural workers flight to India's teeming cities.
Between them, India, China and Myanmar have 19.8 million hectares of bamboo reserves – 80 percent of the world's bamboo
forests. Out of this India's share is 45 percent, with nearly 125 different species of the plant, but only 4 per cent of its global
market. The government would like to see its bamboo industry, concentrated in the northeast of the country, take 27 percent of
the world market by 2015. By that time, the market is expected to be Rs.950 billion.
India's aspirations are ambitious indeed. The government hopes to create 8 million jobs in the bamboo industry, lifting 5 million
families out of poverty and earning Rs.160 billion in revenues by the end of its Tenth Plan in 2007. The government also hopes to
slow the flight of rural workers to urban areas, a major problem. Job losses and low pay for day workers in national forests affect
large populations, where the government forestry departments manage over 9.61 million hectares of mostly natural bamboo
stands.
In this backdrop the Planning Commission of India had launched the National Mission on Bamboo Technology and Trade
Development. The objectives of this Mission were to launch several initiatives to place bamboo as a key species and research in
the developmental agenda. The principal objectives are :To use Bamboo as a means to reclaim degraded land, conserve soil, improve environment, carry out drought proofing. Bamboo
plantation could be an important ingredient in Greening India Programme aiming at raising of the forest cover to 25% by 2007 and
33% by 2012;
To expand area under Bamboo plantation by 2 million ha. in the Tenth Plan – (1 million ha. in forest areas and 1 million ha. in
areas outside forests) and overall 6 M.ha. in the Tenth and Eleventh Plan;
To improve, yield and stabilize the existing bamboo plantation;
To diversify, modernize and expand the bamboo based industries and handicrafts by application of modern technology and
provide policy and financial support;
To use Bamboo development as an instrument of poverty alleviation and employment generation particularly in rural sector;
The Planning Commission,Govt.of India took note of the market survey carried out by the Cane & Bamboo Technology Centre
(CBTC), Guwahati and have accordingly focused on the following :
Bamboo as food (Bamboo Shoots);
Bamboo as a wood substitute (Bamboo Plywood, Bamboo Flooring, Bamboo Pulp, Bamboo Furniture, Bamboo as a building and
construction material, Bamboo Housing, Bamboo in tiny and Cottage Industries, Bamboo Mats Industry etc.)
Among the key initiatives launched by the National Mission on Bamboo Technology and Trade Development is "Manpower
Development and Training". Human Resource Development implies upgradation of skills of craftspersons as well as growth of
entrepreneurship.
Bamboo Cultivation practices in India
Occurrence: Bamboo belongs to the grass species and hence forms part of the same family of flowering plants viz. Gramineae
to which human beings’ most important staple food plants, rice and wheat belong. Various estimates limit bamboos to about 1250
species under 75 genera which are thought to have made its first appearance about 200 million years ago. The plant now occurs
in the tropical, subtropical and temperate zones of all regions except Europe and Western Asia. Recent findings have revealed
that bamboo was prevalent in Europe some 3 million years ago but vanished sometime during the last ice age.In India the
Rigveda has mentioned bamboo and hence it must be in use for 4000 years.
Bamboos in India: India is blessed with very rich bamboo resources. With about 22 genera and 136 species, it is one of the
largest resources of bamboos, next only to China with 26 genera ad 300 species. The areas particularly rich in bamboo are the
North Eastern States, the Western Ghats, Chattisgarh,M.P. and Andaman Nicobar Islands. The important genera
are Arundinaria, Bambusa,
Cephalostachyum,
Dendrochalamus,
Dinochloa,
Gigantochloa, Melocanna,
Ochlandra,
Oxytenanhthera, Phyllostachys, Pseudostachyum etc. Of nearly 136 species, at present only about 10 are being commercially
exploited today. These are: Bambusa arundinacea, B.affinis, B.balcooa, B.tulda, Dendrocalamus strictus, D.hamiltoni,D.asper,
Oxytenanthera stocksii and O.travancorica. Bamboo production in North Eastern India on commercial lines would be an excellent
tool for poverty alleviation and employment generation.
Growth and biomass: Bamboo has two main growth forms due to different types of rhizomes: the leptomorph type with single
stem, (monopodial) mainly in temperate region and the pachymorph type as dense clump stands, (sympodial) mainly in the warm
regions. In India majority of bamboos are clump type e.g. Dendrocalamus and Bambusa. However in the north eastern regions,
some non clump forming species are present, e.g. Melocanna baccifera with creeping rhizomes.
Bamboo, being a grass produces only one stem without any later secondary growth in height and diameter, as most trees do. Its
full length of 15-20 mts,( up to 40 mts in Dendrocalamus giganteus, the largest bamboo species ) is attained within a period of 3-4
months. Thereafter,only branch development continues.Thus, bamboo, being very fast in growth produces an enormous amount
of biomass within a very short time. It is estimated that in 35 years, a bamboo plant can produce up to 15 km of usable pole of 30
cm diameter. Its light weight , high elasticity and rupture make bamboo an ideal material for housing construction in areas prone
to natural calamities such as earthquakes and hurricanes. The tensile strength of bamboo is greater than steel. Such growth has
resulted in high expectations in the world especially to store CO2 and to produce larger amount of material and energy. However
there is a limitation. Whereas fast growing trees like Eucalyptus, Acacia, Albizzia and Radiata pine (Pinus radiata) produce their
biomass continuously for many decades, a bamboo ceases leafy growth after its stem elongation within 3-4 months. The new
biomass comes only in the next year when new shoots (culms) are produced. Commercially important species usually mature in
4-5 years and thereafter harvesting is possible every alternate years. Most of the bamboos have hollow stems, except few which
are almost solid viz. D. strictus and B. affinis.
Yield and Harvesting: The annual yield in tonnes/ ha depends on the environment as well as the species. It is generally 3-4
tons/ha as understory in forest and 5-12 tons/ ha from plantations. In the drier parts of India, well managed and technology
based D.strictus plantations give yield of 10 tons/ha. Melocanna bambusoides in moist Bangladesh has produce 10-13 t/ha yield.
Well managed monoculture bamboo plantations in China yield up to 50 ton per/ha/year. It is estimated that almost 25% of the
biomass in the tropics and 20% in the subtropics, come from bamboo.
Cultivation: Bamboos are generally propagated vegetatively, although they are best raised through seeds. Seedlings are raised
in nursery beds and allowed to develop for a year in poly pots after which they are transplanted in the field. As bamboo seeds are
rarely available, they are propagated through rhizomes or culm cuttings. In rhizome planting, one year old culms with roots are
dug up, cut to about a metre high and planted during rainy seasons. Vegetative propagation of bamboos is an age old method and
is practised everywhere. While planting the rhizomes, the workers should take extra care not to injure the junction of the culm and
the rhizome. Irrigation is necessary after planting.
Projects approved/ sanctioned
Today thousands of hectares of forest land are being planted with bamboo by Forest Development Corporations and Forest
Departments in all Indian States. NABARD in 2003 sanctioned a very big bamboo plantation project to Andhra Pradesh Forest
Development Corporation for development of degraded forest lands.In 2004 it sanctioned 2 bamboo plantation projects for
production of pulpwood in Assam for development of non-forest wastelands. International agencies like INBAR is engaged in
promoting bamboo plantation and bamboo industrial projects in many Indian states.
Bamboo flowering: Most bamboos flower only once in their lifetime, and die soon after. Bamboo flowering is a mystery to
scientists. Probably they have an in built alarm clock set to go off at a particular time with all populations of a species raised from a
single seed source flowering simultaneously no matter where situated. Melocanna flowered in 1961 simultaneously in Assam and
Dehradun, 2000 kms apart. The flowering cycle generally varies from 7-120 years and in some the interval is 3 years and a few
may even flower annually. Some bamboos however have never been observed to flower e.g. (B.vulgaris).B. nutans having the
longest flowering cycle of 120 years need promotion for planting.
Opportunities: Demand- Supply scenario
India’s bamboo based industries are likely to make a quantum jump if proper policies are put in place and implementation
procedures are streamlined. Country’s bamboo economy is expected to grow by over 15% to touch Rs. 260,000 million by2015.
The National Mission on Bamboo Technology and Trade Development under the Planning Commission, has estimated that if
proper encouragement is given to bamboo cultivation and it’s use, it can replace the projected import of timber to the tune of
Rs.300,000 million in the next 20 years i.e 2025.The market size for bamboo plywood is to grow to Rs. 5000 million from Rs. 2000
million in 2001.The country exports about Rs. 1000 million bamboo flooring materials and another flooring materials of Rs. 1000
million is used domestically. It has been estimated that the total market size of bamboo flooring materials will rise to Rs. 19500
million by 2015. The demand for bamboo pulp is expected to grow to Rs. 20880 million by 2015 from Rs. 1000 million in 2001.
The demand for bamboo furniture is expected to grow to Rs.32650 million in 2015 from Rs.3800 million in 2001.By 2015 bamboo
scaffolding requirement will rise to Rs.8610 million and for housing purposes the demand will rise to Rs.11630 million. The
demand for road construction will rise to Rs.2740 million and for bamboo grids the demand will be Rs. 1000 million.The demand
for miscellaneous industry viz, ice cream sticks,fire crackers,bamboo lathis and ladders will rise to Rs. 6000 million by 2004.
Bamboo shoot production
The planning commission has estimated that the Indian bamboo shoots industry has the potential to grow at the rate of 25% per
annum and capture a market worth Rs. 3000 million from the current level of Rs. 48 million.A large potential export market exists
for shoots in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand.The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) has selected
6 species which are most suited for development of bamboo shoot industry in India. These are: Bamboosa balcooa,
Dendrocalamus giganteus, D. hamiltonii, D. strictus and Melocanna bambusoides.
China is the largest exporter of bamboo shoots and Phyllostachys pubescens is the common species for shoot production, while
in Thailand Dendrocalamus asper is the main species for bamboo shoot production.
Model Bamboo Plantation Scheme For North-East India:
Soil: Most Bamboos are found in sandy loamy to loamy clay soil, derived form river alluvium or underlying rock. Although
bamboos prefer a well drained soil, it is observed to grow even in swampy soils. The soils of Barak valley vary from clay to clay
loam to sandy loam and soil reaction is acidic with ph of 4..5 to 6.0 A luxurious growth of bamboo is a common feature and
therefore, the soil and climatic conditions are best suited for cultivation of bamboo.
Species: The north east region hosts 58 species belonging to 10 genera. The common bamboo in Barak Valley is muli bamboo
(Melocanna bambusoides) and jati bamboo (Bambusa tulda). Presently, the bamboo which procured by the paper mill now
proposes to raise the nursery using the species, Bambusa bambos and Dendrocalamus strictus. The reason for preference of
these species is non availability of seed of Bambusa tulda. The required seedlings for the first year programme of 750 acre is
already available in the nursery of Cachar Paper Mill.
Planting : There are various methods of propagating bamboo through seed and vegetative methods. The vegetative method is
mainly through rhizome. Although, for early income generation, rhizome as planting material is desirable, due to non availabililty
of rhizome in large quantity for developing as high as 1000 hectare is a constraint. Therefore, seedlings will be used as planting
material in the present project. The planting will be taken up with the onset of monsoon. Pits of 60 cm X 60 cm will be dug and the
seedlings will be planted at a spacing of 5m x 4m. The number of plants per acre is 200. A provision has been made for casualty
replacement to the extent of 20%.
Intercropping :The gestation period in bamboo plantation is five years. During the first three years, it is possible to cultivate
profitable intercrops such as turmeric, ginger, chillies etc. and various shade loving medicinal and aromatic plants.
Fertilisation: The application of fertiliser is most important during transplantation from nursery to main field. Bamboo is a heavy
feeder and therefore, even a rich soil might become depleted after a few years if no fertiliser is added. The fertilisers although
may be applied at any time in a year, it is preferred to apply after harvest and before irrigations. It should be noted that rhizomes
continue to be active (growing)except in the coldest part of the year. It is therefore proper to apply small quantities of fertilisers
round the year thanone/two large doses. Bamboo responds well to nitrogen and potassium which are found in compost, green
manure, wood ash and chemical fertilisers. Lime is often applied to neutralise soil acidity.
Harvesting and yield :The annual yield of a bamboo clump depends on the number of new culms produced each year. This in
turn is related to the production of young culms. Culms become mature after two to three years. To maximise shoot output some
shoots must be left each year to develop into leafy young culms. It is reported that bamboo clump on an average produce 10
culms in a year under good growing conditions. Considering a 30 year of life cycle one clump may produce 300 culms on the
whole.
The harvesting can be done from fifth year onwards, however, for commercial production, harvesting will start from sixth year. In
the first year of harvest i.e. sixth year, 6 culms per clump will be harvested followed by 7 in seventh year, 8 in eighth year and 9
from ninth year onwards. The culms which are one or two year old are generally left for regeneration. Considering the average
weight of a culm at 10 kg, the yield in the first year of harvest is 9.6 tonnes per acre, which will stabilize at 14.4 ton by ninth year.
Financial aspects:
Unit cost: The unit cost for one acre of plantation is Rs. 9400 spread over a period of five years. The various estimates for
arriving at the unit cost are given below ( Table 1).
Table 1:Unit cost for raising 1 acre bamboo plantation on wastelands
S.No
Items
Units
1
II
III
IV
V
year
year
year
year
year
Total
Material
1
Planting material including 20% mortality replacement in 200
40
240
second year
320
320
320
320
320
1600
LS
100
100
100
100
100
500
Irrigation thrice a year
Rs. 400 per irrign
1200
1200
Fencing
Rs. 6 per rm
960
2
Manure and fertilizers
3
Plant protection
4
5
Sub total
1
2780
960
1660
420
420
420
5700
Labour
mandays
Land preparation
5
250
10
500
100
600
300
Digging of pits , refilling of pits @
2
2400
15pits/manday
0
250
3
Planting and staking
5
250
50
4
Plant protection
2
100
100
twice in second year - 4 MD per 5
250
167
100
100
100
500
Weeding(thrice in first year and
5
417
weeding)
6
Pruning from third year
5
0
0
250
250
250
7
Soil working and others
2
100
100
100
100
100
Harvesting - 10MD in 6th and 7th
8
year, 12MD 8th year onwards
500
0
10
Sub total
1450
517
450
450
450
3317
212
109
44
44
44
451
Grand total
4442
2286
914
914
914
9468
Say
4400
2300
900
900
900
9400
Contingency
5%
Income
Harvesting commencesfrom sixth year onwards. The sale price per tonne of green bamboo is considered at Rs. 550 (present
rate). The income details are given below(Table 2)
Table-2:Yield and Income of bamboo plantations
Year
Yield (Metric Ton)
Income(Rs)
VI
9.6
5280
VII
11.2
6160
VIII
12.8
7040
IX onwards
14.4
7920
Financial analysis
The project is financially viable at the above expenditure and income levels. The financial indicators for one acre bamboo
plantation are given below(Table 3)
Table-3 - Financial analysis for cultivation of bamboo in one acre
S.
Parti-
Year
No culars
No
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
0
0
0
0
0
6
7
8
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
0
0
0
0
0
960
1120 1280
1440
1440 1440 1440 1440 1440
1440
0
0
0
0
0
9.6
11.2
12.8
14.4
14.4
14.4
14.4
0
0
0
0
0
5280 6160 7040
7920
7920 7920 7920 7920 7920
7920
4400
2300
900
900
900
1400 1400 1500
1500
1500 1500 1500 1500 1500
1500
-4400
-2300
-900
-900
3880 4760 5540
6420
6420 6420 6420 6420 6420
6420
of
culms/
clump
No
2
of
culms/
acre
Yield
4
per
acre in
14.4
14.4
14.4
ton
5
Total
income
Total
6
expenditure
7
Net
income
NPV
: Rs.6890
BCR
: 1.64
900
IRR: 26%
Repayment period/Interest rates
The bank loan is considered at 90% of the unit cost i.e. Rs. 8,460/- since 10% of the cost shouldbe borne by the farmers.Income
generation from the activity commences from sixth year onwards. The interest accrued during the gestation period will be
deferred.The rate of interest to the ultimate borrowers will be decided by the financing banks which is subjected to revision by
RBI/NABARD from time to time. The repayment of principal with deferred interest will be for four years i.e 7-1Oth year of
plantation (Table 4).
Table 4: Repayment schedule for 1 acre bamboo plantation
Loan
Total
Loan repayment
loan Interest
Income
after
disbursed outstanding acrrued
Cumulative
during
at the end during
interest
the year
of the year
the year
1
3960
3960
436
436
0
0
0
2
2070
6030
663
1099
0
0
0
3
810
6840
752
1851
0
0
0
4
810
7650
842
2693
0
0
0
5
810
8460
931
3623
0
0
0
8460
931
3623
0
Year
6
Accrued
meeting
interest
the
Principal
Interest
1000
931
Total
1931
Net
Surplus
expenses
3880
1949
7
8460
931
2623
1000
1000
931
2931
4760
1829
8
7460
821
1623
1500
1000
821
3321
5540
2219
9
5960
656
623
3000
623
656
4279
6420
2141
2960
326
326
3286
6420
3134
10
2960
8460
8460
Model Bamboo plantation scheme for Tripura
Table 5:Cost of cultivation of bamboo (Kanak Kaich- Bambusa affinis) on private / community lands in Tripura state :
Espacement: 1.25m x 1.25 m
Wage rate:Rs.50 per MD
No. of culms per Acre: 2564
Casualty replacement: 10%
Survival/Acre : 2051
Sr.
Planting season: April / May
Particulars of work
Unit
No.
Cost Rs.
per year
1
Site preparation
4 MD
2
Thorn / Live hedge fencing
3
Digging of pits
20MD
1
2
3
Total
200
-
-
200
500
-
-
500
1,000
-
-
1,000
(1 cft) and mixing
insecticides
4
Cost of insecticides/
200
200
Pesticides
5
Cost
of
plant
(rhizomes) Rs.3/-per
(2564+256=2820)
6
7,692
768
-
8,460
1,250
50
-
1,300
500
300
200
1,000
500
-
-
500
10/10/10
500
500
500
1,500
96 MD
12,342
1,618
700
14,660
rhizome
Planting/replanting (100 rhizome 25/2
per MD)
7
Weeding cum soil working
8
Protective irrigation
9
Pruning / tending /
10/3/2
cleaning etc
Yield and returns
Years
No. of culms to be harvested
Income @ Rs.5/-per culm
2
1,500
7,500
3
2,000
10,000
4 year onwards
2,000
10,000
Economics of Bambusa affinis in one acre
(Amt.Rs.)
Years
1
2
3
4
5
12342
1618
700
0
0
Benefits
0
7500
10000
10000
10000
Net Benefit
-12342
5882
9300
10000
10000
PWC @15%
12415.88
PWB @ 15%
22935.54
BCR
1.85
IRR
53.52%
Cost
Model Bamboo Plantation Scheme for rest of the country
Table 6: A model scheme for Bamboo cultivation in India
COST
OF
BAMBOO
ESPACEMENT
NO.OF
:
CULTIVATION
6M
CLUMPS/ACRE
x
ON
6M
:
PRIVATE
WAGE
110
LANDS
RATE :
CASUALTY
/
COMMUNITY
Rs
50
REPLACEMENT :
LANDS
/
MD
20%
SURVIVAL/ACRE : 88
22
MD
&S.NOPARTICULARSUNIT COST(RS.)PERYEAR 1234TOTAL1Site
preparation4
MD200 2002Thorn
FencingLS500 5003Alignment & staking2 MD100 100
4Digging of pits(1 cu.m ) &1100250 1350refilling of pits after mixing5
MD FYM,Fertiliser and
insecticide(5 pits/MD)
5Cost of FYM @5 Kg/pitRs.150/ton.82.5 82.56Cost of fertiliser
@100Rs.10/Kg110110110110440Gm/plant
7Cost of insecticides /LS50505050200pesticides @5 Gm/pit
8Cost of plants
includingRs.5 per550110 660transport(110,22 plants)plant 9Planting & replanting 6 & 1 MD30050 35010Weeding cum soil
working3 MD per450300300 1050(3,2,2) working 11Intercropping for 1 year * 1000 100012Pruning/tending /Cleaning2
MD10010010010040013Irrigation @ 5 times / yrRs.250/125012501250 3750during dry months only.irrigation
(LIFE SAVING
IRRIGATION) 14SUB
TOTALRS.5793222018102601008315CONTINGENCY
5
%RS.29011190.51350416GRAND
TOTALRS.60822331190127310587
Yield: Harvesting Schedule
Years
Culm per clump
Total culm
Income @
Available
Rs.10 per culm
5
4
352
3520
6
6
528
5280
7
8
704
7040
8 onwards
10
880
8800
N.B: * 1) Intercropping can be taken up depending upon the nature of farmlands and the
inputs available.
2) Since, incomefrom intercropping is insignificant the same has not been considered while calculating economics.
3) Cost beyond 4th year has not been considered since the project will start generating income from 5th year onwards.
4) IRR works out to 25.49%
Annexure-1
NABARD’s Bamboo Development Policy
NABARD has recently formulated a Bamboo Development Policy to give real thrust to develop the sector with an integrated
approach.
The major objective is to commercialise Bamboo at farmer’s level. All along bamboo has been considered as a poor man’s crop.It
is high time we put bamboo into industrial pedestal with appropriate tie-up arrangements with bamboo based industries
viz.paper,handicrafts and the new emerging areas of eco-friendly products e.g. housing,tiles, flooring,bamboo shoots etc.
The focus would be comprehensive development of bamboo resources as a marketable commodity with more emphasis on
farmlands especially revenue wastelands.The planning commission approach for Agroforestry development through bamboo will
be followed.A linkage of bamboo farmers with bamboo artisans will also be made. Besides, wherever feasble bamboo projects will
also be promoted for development of degraded forest lands.
The above approach would broaden our interventions / business opportunities significantly as there is huge untapped potential in
wasteland development under Farm forestry/ Agroforestry. Besides, inadequately managed bamboo forests and bamboos after
flowering can be covered under JFM approach / co-financing etc.
Emphasis would also be made to promote quality bamboo plantation projects assisted by NABARD for higher productivity and
better returns. Use of clonally propagated seedlings and Tissue cultured plants will be advocated for improving quality and
productivity.
Goals of the Policy
The major goals for bamboo development would be proper use of available bamboo resources for value addition,creation of new
technology based plantations, efficient marketing, new product development through technology upgradation, institutional
development/strengthening,design support leading to economic upliftment of rural people.
Financing Models:
NABARD will promote and fund Bamboo projects under the following models:
1. Setting up of Bamboo nurseries for quality plant production including Tissue Culture plantlets
2.Wasteland development model through BAMBOO under Farm Forestry
3.Bamboo based Agroforestry model
4.Tie -up arrangement with bamboo based industries including handicrafts
5.Cluster development for Artisans and Craftpersons for bamboo product development including marketing
6. Funding under RIDF -JFM model
7. micro-Finance through NGOs under SHG model wherever feasible
NABARD’s strategy
In order to realize maximum benefits from marketing bamboo products, NABARD will adopt the following approaches:
1)
Establish supply chain from the farmer’s field to large industries viz. paper,wood sustitute,plyboard, flooring,furniture etc. to
improve market position. Through this arrangement , industrial farms can have easy access to bamboo raw material at competirive
cost on parternership basis. NABARD will see that the business partners provide local producers with high quality planting
materials,provide technical guidance, quality control and a buy- back guarantee arrangement including arranging finance wherever
feasible.
2) Assist in developing small scale Forest enterprises for using Farm-forest bamboos
3) Assist the entrepreneurs in improving product quality, use of improved machines, tools and releiability for continuous and
uninterrupted supply to market chain.TIFAC /IIT-Mumbai has developed effective machineries/ tools for harvesting, cross
cutting,splitting, knot removing and processing of bamboos by artisans and small scale industries. NABARD will try to popularise
these tools especially to the artisans.
4) Strengthen producer organizations especially the handicrafts sector for easy access to local market.The focus would be on
design development, technology upgradation and market facilitation to augment the capabilities of artisans. The handicrafts sector
is intimately linked to tourism sector. Hence, promotion of this sector is critical for economic growth of rural areas.
5) Imparting training to the entrepreneurs in association with INBAR, CBTC,NEDFI, etc., through workshop/ seminar to be held
regularly in potential regions of the country.
6) Remove regularity barriers especially for free movement of bamboo produced from farmer’s fields.
Review of Private Plantation Companies & Follow up action by SEBI:
Recently private investments are forthcoming from companies raising plantations with or without involving public equity. As such
this is a welcome effort to meet the objectives laid down in National Forest Policy. However, the promises made by such
companies are apprehended to be unrealistic. Hence, it is essential to look into the claims made by these companies to prevent
exploitation of investors as well as to provide adequate safeguards that the investment raised are properly utilised and the
confidence of investors in afforestation activities does not get a jolt.
Therefore, Ministry of Environment and Forests constituted an inter departmental committee to study the growth rate and
Economics of private plantation companies and to ascertain the truth behind their claims.
On the basis of the detailed analysis of the data collected, technical information available, and observations, the committee made
strong recommendations. Based on these, SEBI has cautioned the investors through a public notice which may be followed.