New Delhi: Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had approved the formation of an Advisory Group for streamlining the development of the bamboo sector. The Advisory Group encompasses the representation of various stakeholders such as academicians, researchers, innovators, progressive entrepreneurs, designers, farmer leaders, marketing specialists and policy makers.

The inter-ministerial and public-private consultation is envisaged to dovetail the bamboo initiatives of the Ministries and Departments and to help revamp the developmental architecture of the sector by incorporating synergy between all the sections related to the bamboo value chain.

The restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM) was launched during 2018-19 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The NBM mainly focuses on the development of the complete value chain of Bamboo sector to link growers with consumers starting from planting material, plantation, creation of facilities for collection, aggregation, processing, marketing, micro, small and medium enterprises, skilled manpower and brand building initiative in a cluster approach mode.

Over the years of the interventions through policy, facilitations and awareness creations, the bamboo industry is witnessing a phase change by the opening of multiple avenues of resource utilization. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new terminal of Bengaluru airport in which the versatility of bamboo as an architectural and structural material has been proved and the destiny of this green resource defined as the ‘green steel.’

Apart from using in the construction sector as design and structural element, the potential of bamboo is multifaceted. Eco-friendly mouldable granules from bamboo can replace the use of plastic. Bamboo is a reliable source for the ethanol and bio-energy production due to its fast rate of growth and abundance.

The market of bamboo-based lifestyle products, cutleries, home decors, handicrafts and cosmetics also is in a growth path. The National Bamboo Mission is striving to bring the benefits of this growing sector to the farmers and human resources of the nation.

According to an official statement, the subject experts and other stakeholders who are actively working in the bamboo sector will advise about the areas to be focused as well as the policy interventions to be taken in coordination with other stakeholders of the sector.

The Union Agriculture Secretary will be the Chairperson of the Advisory Group and Mission Director of National Bamboo Mission will be the convener. The members of the committee shall advise the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on issues and technologies in propagation, plantation of bamboo and intercropping, primary processing, product development, value addition, market infrastructure and linkages, processing machineries, skill development and so on. /BI/