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In News:
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare addressed the inaugural session of ‘National Consultation on Opportunities and Challenges for Bamboo in India’.
About
- The 2-day long Manthan on Bamboo sector is jointly organized by National Bamboo Mission, NITI Aayog and ‘Invest India’.
- The emphasized was on the formation of FPOs to encourage small and marginal farmers for taking up bamboo plantation as it will ensure hand-holding of the groups for providing correct procedures for raising nurseries and plantations
About Bamboo
- Bamboo is a versatile group of plants that is capable of providing ecological, economic and livelihood security to the people.
- It can be used in 1,500 different ways including food, a substitute for wood, building and construction material, for handicrafts and paper. Around 80 percent of bamboo forests lie in Asia with India, China and Myanmar.
- In India, It has remained confined to the forests (12.8% of forest cover)two-third of the growing stock located in the North-Eastern States.
Benefits
- The importance of the crop as a source of raw material for industrial and domestic use with its growing demand all over the country necessitated its cultivation in farmlands as well.
- It can be a key crop to double farmers’ income, increase employment opportunities and improve the livelihood of the people, especially in the NorthEast region.
- Biochar produced by anaerobic combustion of bamboo has a tremendous beneficial effect on soil health by increasing organic carbon.
- Bamboo has tremendous untapped potential for transforming India’s rural economy.
National Bamboo Mission
- It is being implemented as a sub-scheme of Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
- The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is the nodal agency for its implementation
- It is 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
- The Mission envisages promoting holistic growth of the bamboo sector by adopting the area-based, regionally differentiated strategy and to increase the area under bamboo cultivation and marketing.
- Under the Mission, steps have been taken to increase the availability of quality planting material by supporting the setting up of new nurseries and strengthening existing ones.
- The National Bamboo Mission has set up 79 bamboo markets.
- States/ districts covered
- The Mission will focus on the development of bamboo in limited States where it has the social, commercial and economical advantage, particularly in the North-Eastern region and States including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
- Objectives
- To promote the growth of the bamboo sector through an area based regionally differentiated strategy.
- To increase the coverage of areas under bamboo in potential areas, with improved varieties to enhance yields.
- To promote marketing of bamboo and bamboo-based handicrafts.
- To establish convergence and synergy among stakeholders for the development of bamboo.
- To promote, develop and disseminate technologies through a seamless blend of traditional wisdom and modern scientific knowledge.
- To generate employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled persons, especially unemployed youths.
