Bamboo in Orissa: Trade and Livelihood Perspective - Vasundhara

All rights reserved by VASUNDHARA(www.vasundharaorissa.org). For any clarification, contact author at sunlit1968@yahoo.co.in
However, during 2004-05 the price of salia has been fixed at Rs.6, Rs.8 and Rs.10 per
piece depending on the size.
Cutting long bamboo has often been said to be not viable commercially for OFDC or the
RMPs. For instance, in 2005 the RMPs were entitled for reimbursement @Rs.5/piece of
long bamboo they were required to cut for tenants' use; but in Dasapalla area their actual
cost of production was reportedly Rs.6.50 per piece on an average.
Bamboo from private land is priced on the basis of the size and thickness of the culm. Such
prices vary from area to area, but normally the average minimum rate is Rs.10 per piece
which may increase to Rs.70 to 100 in case of culms of higher length and thickness.
Cutting is normally the customer’s responsibility.
Scarcity has caused substantial increase in bamboo prices during the last 10-20 years. For
instance, the local people say that sundarkani bamboo was available @Rs.5/piece in the
Kundhei(Kakatpur) area before the flood of 1982, but now the price is Rs.60-75 for the
same.
Smuggled forest bamboo may be available within the rate of Rs.3 to 15 per piece
depending on the distance of forest/source and other expenditures involved(like
transportation, if any).
In forests under community protection, the provisions vary from area to area, depending on
the availability of bamboo, dependency of the villagers, etc.. For instance, at
Gania(Nayaharh) the local people have been allowed, after a restricted period of 3 years,
20 pieces of bamboo per HH @Rs.20 (i.e., @Re.1/piece) and if anybody is found to collect
bamboo beyond this limit, then he has to pay Rs.51 as penalty. At Chadheiapalli(Nayagarh)
there forest protection committee, which supervises protection of about 3000 acres of
Ratnamala village forest, has allowed unlimited(but subject to sustainability) quantity of
bamboo for the tenants @Re.1/piece belonging to this village, and @Rs.3/piece to
outsiders(per comm.). In many parts of Ranpur area there is neither any special provision
nor restriction for felling of bamboo for local use; but in Sinduria-Kodalapalli area while
the protecting villagers can get their requirements free from the forest, outsiders have to
take bamboo on payment basis. 60% of the price paid for bamboo by the outsiders is given
to the villager who cuts the same for the applicant(because outsiders are not allowed to cut
bamboo in the forest), and 40% goes to the village fund(per comm., Arakshita Sahu).
2. Bamboo for artisans’ use:
At present, the artisans in most places are getting bamboo at the same price that is being
paid by the general tenants, because private traders or bamboo-bush owners do not
distinguish between the two while selling their bamboo.
Even in community protection areas, special concession for artisans is hardly found
probably because they stand on the same footing as other villagers in terms of membership
fees, responsibilities, etc.. At Chadheiapalli, for instance, there are about 200 HHs of
71