NEW DELHI, Feb 3 ? The Union Government is shortly notifying bamboo as an agriculture product plaing it under the ambit of the Union Agriculture Ministry, even as a special Mission is being launched to tackle the situation arising out of bamboo flowering by Government of India. The Mission for which the Agriculture Ministry would be the nodal agency would involve at least seven-eight Central Ministries besides North Eastern State Governments, revealed Dr V.S.Oberoi Advisor TIFAC Department of Science and Technology.
At stake is 26 million tonne of bamboo, covering an area of 18,000 square km in the North-East. At least 15 percent of the bamboo resources in the region mainly in Mizoram is expected to be wiped out in the aftermath of the bamboo flowering which would last till 2006.
Meanwhile, in a major initiative aimed at boosting the bamboo sector, the Centre has decided to be notified as forest resources and instead would be labelled as agriculture product. The Union Agriculture Ministry later is likely to issue a notification to this effect later this month, Tinoo Joshi, Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) Ministry of Textile said.
The move by Government of India came because of tremendous problems faced particularly in the North Eastern Region in moving bamboos out of the forest areas. It has hence been decided to declare it as an agriculture products. The initiatives by Government of India conincides with the VIIth World Bamboo Congress that gets underway later this month in Delhi. At least 700 delegates from 36 countries are participating in the congress held in the country for the first time.
The development of bamboo is vital because it has been estimated that the combined value of internal and commercial consumption of of bamboo in the world is to the tune of USD 10 billion ( Rs 50,000 crore). The size of the domestic bamboo economy as of now is Rs 2043 crore while the market potential is estimated at rs 4,463 crore with a projected annual growth-rate of 15-20 percent.
India is the second largest richest country in bamboo genetic resources after China. It is reported that nearly 136 species of bamboo are occurring in India out of which 58 species belonging to 10 general are distributed in North Eastern States.