With the aim of generating awareness and opening business avenues in bamboo sector, the Ministry of Agriculture is going to organise a three-day International Conference on ‘Improvement of Bamboo Productivity and Marketing for Sustainable Livelihood’ under the department of the ‘National Bamboo Mission’ here from April 15- 17.
Minister of Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Sharad Pawar will inaugurate the Conference, which will be facilitated by the active participation of the government representatives from all states besides a large number scientists and experts from at least 35 countries and farmers, entrepreneurs, and NGOs will also attend the convention.
The purpose of the Conference is to provide a platform for scientific interaction among participants from various countries through presentations and display of products, which will generate awareness about various technologies and their applications.
Moreover, it will open global business avenues in bamboo sector through detailed discussion on investment potential.
Mass Production and Certification of Quality Planting Stock, Post-Harvest Management and Storage, New Generation Value-added Products, Investment Potential and Marketing, Cultivation and Stand Management and Policy Issues are a few of the various topics that will be discussed in the conference.
National Bamboo Mission
The National Bamboo Mission is a centrally sponsored scheme with 100 percent government contribution under the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation in the Ministry of Agriculture.
Objectives
The mission was initiated with the aim of augmenting production and productivity of bamboo and generating employment for skilled and unskilled persons, especially unemployed person. To promote marketing of bamboo and bamboo based handicrafts and to develop and disseminate technologies were some of the key issues, which inspired to take on National Bamboo Mission.
Position of India
India ranks second in the world in bamboo diversity with 136 species followed by China with 300 species. Northeastern regions are leading India in the bamboo sector with two-third of the growing stock of the bamboo and 58 species belonging to 10 genera are found here.
The world market for bamboo is valued at USD 10 billion of which China’s lion’s share alone is half of it. It is being expected that market for bamboo would reach about USD 20 billion by 2015. The size of the domestic bamboo industry is estimated to be about Rs.6505 crores, which may further increase to Rs.26,000 crores by 2015.
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Comments:
Deekonda Narsinga Rao
May 13, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Government or National Organisations are not internalizing the ancient Bamboo dependent Communities such as Medara, Basor, Burud, Bansphor, etc, while conducting such meetings, conferences on Bamboo and Bamboo prospects.
Please, let the Govenrment or such organisations may take care to include them in forthcoming conferences, when ever conducted. According to 2001 census, we have more than 2 crores of population of Bamboo dependent communities all over India, with names such as Medara, Medari, Meda, Burud, Basor, Mahendra, Bansphod, etc.