The Union Agriculture Minister Shri 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 viz., academicians, researchers, innovators, progressive entrepreneurs, designers, farmer leaders, marketing specialists and policy makers.
Government initiatives
- The restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM) was launched during 2018-19 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. NBM mainly focuses on the development of complete value chain of Bamboo sector to link growers with consumers starting.
- Recently, the Prime Minister inaugurated the new terminal of the Bengaluru (Kempagowda) 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’.
- The Ministry of Commerce & Industry has amended the import policy of Agarbatti and placed it from “Free” trade to “Restricted” trade, w.e.f. 01.09.2019, to restrict the import of raw Agarbatti and give boost to the indigenous production of Agarbatti, thereby safeguarding rural employment.
Uses of Bamboo
- Apart from using in the construction sector as design and structural element, the potential of bamboo is multifaceted.
- Ecofriendly 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.
