Growing turnout for training in bamboo cultivation and artistry and rising demand for bamboo saplings spells out higher returns with less investment. The Bamboo Research and Training Centre (BRTC) at Chichpalli in Mahashtra’s Chandrapur district gets farmers from across the state for short-term training in bamboo cultivation and also training in bamboo art.
Besides the traditional artists in basketry, those using bamboo in making decorative material, construction and interior designers are attracted towards BRTC. The Centre itself has been constructed using bamboo and is an attraction for the visitors.
According to Training Programme Coordinator Pravin Shivankar over 12 training programmes are conducted every year. Recently the BRTC imparted training to 100 women from families affected due to growing mining operations in Chandrapur district, which is rich in coal and minerals. Training to 200 farmers was also conducted.
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT:
BRTC is the only centre in Maharashtra for promotion, research and development of bamboo. The Centre plans its programme based on the guidelines of the National Bamboo Mission and Maharashtra Bamboo Development Board. The bamboo growers are also supported under SFURTI (Scheme for Regeneration of Traditional Industries) of the Ministry of MSME.
The scheme has three primary interventions –
1. Soft interventions, including skill training, capacity building, design development and market promotion.
2. Hard Intervention covers the creation of Common Facility Centres (CFS), raw material banks, and advanced production equipment.
3. Thematic Interventions focusses on brand building, e-commerce integration, and packaging to boost sales.
BRTC has collected 92 species of bamboo and develops saplings in its nursery depending upon the demand from bamboo growers.
Chandrapur district itself has four sales depots including one at the railway station, where artistic decorative material and basketry is made available for the prospective buyers and generating awareness.
In Maharashtra ‘Burad’ community was traditionally engaged in basketry making. Their products were limited to those used in routine life. With the skill development programmes the art is not restricted to the Burad community. At the same time many alternatives to traditionally used goods are available.
BAMBOO IN INDIA
India is the second largest producer in the world, with major growers in the north-eastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland, and parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra in Central India.
BRTC is the first research and development centre developed in Chichpalli of Chandrapur district. It was established on December 4, 2014 with skill training leading to Diploma and Bachelor’s Technology courses. Vocational training in handicraft, furniture making, basketry and construction work is imparted under the courses conducted at the Centre. A formal training to farmers in bamboo cultivation is also conducted by the Centre.
Major bamboo producing regions in Maharashtra are coastal Konkan and forest rich Vidarbha’s Amravati, Bhandara, Chandrapur districts; and Marathwada’s Jalna district.
CROP AND BENEFITS
Full grown bamboo crop is ready for harvest in 3 to 5 years. It grows with minimal water and the plant growth is faster. The initial investment relates to the land development, drip irrigation is about Rs 50,000 per acre. The annual yield is estimated to be 10 to 15 tonnes per acre. The income from one acre is between 1.50 to 2.50 lakh rupees. The other benefits are that the stem (culm) lives for 10 to 15 years and the rhizome for 40 to 50 years. With the development of inflorescence after 40 to 50 years, the plant dies its natural death. The seeds dispersed again developes into the bamboo forest.
Bamboo, which belongs to the grass family (creeper), has been recognised as a tree due to its height and vertical growth. Only one species grown in Arunachal Pradesh is creeper and mainly used in furniture making and basketry.
The Union Government has also launched Atal Bamboo Samruddhi Yojana and included bamboo under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The Maharashtra Government has drafted a separate Bamboo Industry Police for promotion of bamboo.
With the systematic promotion, development and training by the government, bamboo cultivation and use in different sectors is a major attraction among the farmers, artisans and designers.
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