Bamboo Requires Scientific Management for its Optimum Utilisation: Union Agriculture Minister

Dhirendra Kumar

News Curator cum Moderator

Indian Botanists

Participating in a discussion on “Development of Bamboo” at India International Centre in New Delhi today, Sh.Radha Mohan Singh, Union Agriculture Minister, mentioned that National Bamboo Mission(NBM) was started in 2006-07 for the holistic development of the bamboo sector in the country. Speaking on the occasion he said the main objectives of NBM are to increase the coverage of area under bamboo in potential areas, with suitable species to enhance yields; to promote marketing of bamboo and bamboo based handicrafts; to generate employment opportunities, especially unemployed youth etc. 

Bamboo growing at Institute of Forest Productivity, Ranchi (ICFRE)

About the recent initiatives to enhance bamboo plantation and its uses he mentioned following points:

1. The issue of Liberalizing the Transit Regulation for Bamboo was taken up with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The MoEF has issued on 18th November, 2014 the guidelines for Liberalizing Felling and Transit Regime for tree species including bamboo grown on non-forest/private lands to all States implementation of these guidelines by the States will promote production and utilization of bamboo.

2. With a view to promote bamboo in National Horticulture Mission (NHM) manual on Bamboo Playhouses has been prepared.

3. The possibility of promoting the bamboo pack houses in NHM is also being explored.

4. To improve the quality of bamboo planting material, the first phase of selection of superior clones has been completed by ICFRE.

5. For providing quality planting material ICFRE is upgrading three Tissue Culture Labs

6. All State Mission Directors have been requested to give emphasis on establishment of Common Facility Centres (CFC) and to organize specialized training programmes by engaging reputed institutes for the benefit of artisans from the Annual Action Plan 2015-16.

Also Read, Characteristic Features of Bamboo: General Botany and Physiology

Sh. Singh also mentioned that since inception, 3,29,372 ha land has been covered with bamboo plantation, out of which 2,16,484 ha under forest area and 1,12,888 ha under non-forest area. An area of 77,030 ha of existing bamboo plantation has been improved for higher productivity. In addition, 1417 nurseries have been established to supply quality planting material. In different States, 48,885 farmers and 7,830 field functionaries have been trained in the area of nursery management and bamboo plantation.

Speaking on the challenges, Sh. Singh said that States have to be impressed upon to implement transit pass guidelines issued by Ministry of Environment and Forest. As per IFSR-2011, 169.3 million tonnes of bamboo stock is available in the forest. However, for increasing productivity and optimum utilisation of existing resources emphasis is to be given for scientific management of bamboo stands and proper working plan, he said.

Inputs from PIB