Bamboo in Orissa: Trade and Livelihood Perspective - Vasundhara

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end-user is considerable, middlemen do have a scope though in many such cases they do
not actually come into the picture due to a number of reasons (like, lack of regular demand,
negligible scope of profit-making, etc.).
The business is carried out sometimes at the doorstep of the artisan and sometimes in rural
haats and/or permanent shops. However, govt agencies like ORMAS and DRDA etc. have
facilitated the marketing of both traditional and non-traditional products through
exhibitions and trade fairs. In fact, most of the non-traditional items lack a regular demand
in the local markets owing to the absence of their role in the traditional socio-cultural
practices, and hence exhibitions and trade fairs are the only hope for their marketing. Such
sophisticated and delicate artefacts are usually purchased by the elite people more for
decoration purposes. It is for this reason that artisans can hardly depend on such products
on a regular basis.
Supply in lot may involve transportation plus other charges(if any). For instance, for a
bundle(contains 12 pieces) of bidi peti transportation(for about 17 km distance from
Munder to Sambalpur)) charge is Rs.10 upto the town; then Rs.3 is paid at the check gate,
after which Rs.5 is paid to the rickshaw to reach the bidi factory/godown.
Some products are exported to other states in various ways(i.e., either directly or through
petty traders). For example, winnows produced at Nakuda(Damasahi) near Tato(Karanjia)
are transported to Badampahar or Rairangpur where women traders coming from Tata,
Chainbasa and Mushabani, etc. purchase the same to sell in their own areas. Transportation
charge(upto Badampahar/Rairangpur) for a bundle of 60() winnows is about Rs.15 on an
average and each winnow that costs Rs.8 at Nakuda is sold to the women traders @Rs.8.50
to 9.
The trade and market scenario curiously varies from area to area and from season to
season. For instance, artisans of Gadagopalpur(near Astaranga) are not much hopeful about
their business unlike their brethrens of Kendrapati(Kakatpur) which is not far away.
Remoteness of the village, product diversity and popularity, skill in trading and limitations
of local demand are among the factors responsible for situation like this. Seasonality is also
a very important factor. The winnow of Nakuda that has an off-season rate of Rs.5/piece
during March-April, sells at Rs.8 during Kalipuja(November i.e. harvesting season).
Similarly, tata which can fetch a price of Rs.30 to 60 per piece in the Astaranga area
during marriage season, or festivals like kumar purnima or dwitia osha, is difficult to sell
at Rs.5 during the off season. The loss during off-seasons is compensated to some extent
during periods of good demand.
Following table shows the estimated production and sale of bamboo & cane products
through registered societies in the state, between 1999-2000 to 2001-02, in lakh rupees:
81