Karnataka to give a leg up to bamboo cultivation

Chief conservator of forests (National Forestry Action Programme) A C Keshavamurthy said, bamboo markets would be set up at Sankshwar in Belgaum district and Shimoga in Karnataka soon. This will be an initiative to promote bamboo cultivation and create a marketing network for bamboo.

Keshavamurthy, who is also the liaison officer for Karnataka for the National Bamboo Mission, said the proposals were aimed at providing market linkages for bamboo growers.

The structure of the bamboo markets is being worked out. “We are contemplating having an APMC yard-type set-up for the market. We will plan and send a proposal to the Bamboo Mission for approval and release of funds,” he said.

Stating that initially a bamboo market would be set up at Bangalore, Keshavamurthy informed that the idea was dropped in view of the huge transportation costs. The government is now considering a bamboo market at Kushalnagar in Kodagu. “It is still in the planning stages,” he said.

He said, market linkages and other programmes relating to bamboo cultivation would be easier if growers came forward with declarations on cultivation of bamboo.

It would also become easy for the Forest Department to extend facilities and subsidies to them. The CCF said that at present a subsidy of Rs 8,000 an acre is being given to growers if they took up micro-irrigation to cultivate bamboo. Even bamboo saplings are being supplied at subsidised rates to marginal farmers and those who belong to the SCs or STs.

On why the subsidies should not be extended to all farmers cultivating bamboo, he said here the Bamboo Mission had not yet taken a decision. Though the Bamboo Mission had written to the state government and all deputy commissioners on creating awareness on the schemes for the promotion of bamboo cultivation, officials at the district-level and taluk-level seemed indifferent, he pointed out.

He said that unless officials were interested and created awareness, it would be difficult to motivate farmers.

According to additional principal chief conservator of forests T V Mohan Das, there is a huge gap between demand and supply for bamboo poles in the state because of which rationing of its supply to artisans had become inevitable. He said, while bamboo artisans in the state required around 5 million bamboo poles annually, the Forest Department was able to supply only around 1.5 million poles.

The only way to bridge the deficit is to encourage farmers to cultivate bamboo. “Farmers should be sensitised of the schemes that’s aimed at motivating them to take up bamboo cultivation,” he said.