Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
was graced by the Vice President of India H.E. Shri Hamid Ansari which
was attended by delegates from all India and more than 15 countries.
To commoditize bamboo there is a great need to carry out institutional
reform and restructuring. The examples of “Tea Board,” “Coffee Board,”
“Coconut Development Board,” “Spice Board,” “Jute Development
Board,” “Silk Board,” “Rubber Board,” “Coir Board” under various min-
istries of Government of India are examples of commoditization. These
bodies acts as “one-stop-shop” and looks after all the requirements from
development, promotional, plantation to processing and marketing of the
product including R&D activities and market promotion, etc.
The bamboo subsector in North East is undeveloped due to a lacking
enabling environment to stimulate the private sector to invest in the states.
Capacity of government staff to tackle reforms and necessary insights to
promote and develop marketable products is limited. Consequently private
sector and poor communities have few incentives to sustainable manage
and gain from trading bamboo resources. Key intervention areas to support
the development of the bamboo value chain are the enabling business cli-
mate, handicraft sector and piloting business models aiming at providing
benefits for both the private sector and communities. Lessons from China,
Vietnam and other South Asian Countries are needed to be learnt for India.
India' Aggarbatti Industry (Incense Sticks) which is pegged at Rs.4000
crore market imports bulk of the required bamboo sticks from China and
Vietnam whereas abundant bamboo resources in NE States are burnt by
Jhumming or pulped for paper by the two giant Paper Mills in the region
leaving less scope for the farmers for value addition and benefits. Bamboo
is useful for ecological and environmental purposes as well. It is one of the
best species for carbon sequestration; it conserves soil and water besides
many other protective purposes Since, market for environment-friendly
“green” products is growing, India must try to secure her due share in
world bamboo market which is expected to grow from USD 10 billion to
over USD 20 billion by 2015, if we could expand the bamboo economy
steadily to Rs.26,000 Crore by 2015 from Rs.2000 Crore, as envisioned
by the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMPTC),
Government of India. To achieve this target the social and commercial as-
pects of bamboo and bamboo products need to be disseminated at the grass
root level. Simultaneously, a program of awareness building is needed to
influence the government (commerce, industry and various ministries),
bankers, potential traders and investors on the potential of bamboo - eco-
