WBC-VIII-Vol.4 – Resources – Forestry, Plantations and ... - BambuSC

As indicated earlier, the major industrial use of bamboo in the country is paper manufacturing. The paper
industry requires about 6 million tons of bamboo for improving its installed manufacturing capacity utilization.
Non availability of bamboo is the main reason for low consumption which offers scope for increased utilization
of bamboo by paper mills which are currently operating at 41% of installed capacity. Paper mills should
therefore enter into buy-back arrangements with bamboo growers outside forest areas to ensure sustained supply
of raw material. It is significant to note that the import of pulp costs about Rs. 38000 million annually (1US$ =
INR 50).One of the characteristic features of bamboo is its suitability for cultivation in wastelands. Farming in
Assam is mostly rainfed and the farmers are not technologically well -equipped. Also input application is
minimal. Bamboo, with its wide adaptability, hardy nature, therefore, best suits cultivation in this situation.
The project being implemented in the districts of Nagaon, Morigaon and Kamrup have available wastelands of
more than 20,000 hectares; hence bamboo development in 1800 acres will not pose any problem so far as
availability of land is concerned.
The project
It envisages commercial cultivation of bamboo in about 5400 bighas (1800 acre) of wastelands in Nagaon,
Morigaon and Kamrup districts of Assam, through financial support from 3 Banks viz. Assam Gramin Vikas
Bank, United Bank of India, and State Bank of India in these districts through their branches in the respective
blocks. The total financial outlay of the project is Rs.46.20 million involving a bank loan of Rs.41.58 million.
The purpose of bamboo cultivation is to utilize the wastelands in the districts for increasing productivity which
are not put to use by farmers. Further, there has been no or negligible credit flow to the Forestry sector in the
State for want of viable and bankable projects. The project therefore envisages extension of technology besides
financial assistance by Banks. There is a big local market for bamboo in the districts. In fact the Nagaon Paper
Mill is located nearby. Besides, new industries like Koson’s Forest Products has come up in Amingao near
Guwahati which requires large number of desired variety of bamboos. Thus marketing will not be any problem
for the bamboo produced under the project, especially because the project will produce Jati bamboo ( Bambusa
tulda) which is not only favored by the farmers but also by the industries.
The project objectives are :
I. To encourage bamboo cultivation in small holder’s waste lands in possession of farmers in three
districts of Assam viz. Nagaon, Morigaon and Kamrup for ecorestoration, economic development,
employment generation and livelihood security.
II. To encourage flow of bank finance to the hitherto neglected but potential sector of forestry in
Assam
III. To augment raw material requirements of new generation bamboo based industries.
IV. To increase green forests in the non-forest areas of the state
VIII World Bamboo Congress Proceedings Vol 4-4