Bamboo's distinctive benefits include high carbon dioxide consumption, high oxygen release, and the ability to make soil fertile. Its usage have been widely recognized and documented since ages. Since it was a wild plant under the jurisdiction of the forest department, cultivation was not permitted in the state.
However, the situation has altered recently, with both the federal and state governments encouraging bamboo production. Andhra Pradesh has changed the anchoring department from the forest department to the horticulture department, allowing citizens to legally cultivate bamboo. An order was issued when the cabinet gave its approval. Horticulture commissioner will be the mission director for the State Bamboo Mission.
Furthermore, under the National Bamboo Mission, bamboo growers may get 60% subsidy. The Andhra Pradesh State Agriculture Mission (APSAM) took the initiative to categorize bamboo as horticulture, allowing farmers to produce it as an alternative crop in part of their lands to augment their income.
APSAM vice-chairman MVS Nagi Reddy stated that numerous crops are grown in the state, and some of them, such as paddy are grown excessively, which will only be counterproductive to the farmers. "We've been looking for alternatives, particularly in areas with bore wells. Millets, pulses, and horticultural crops are being promoted. As part of study, we discovered bamboo to be a great alternative," he added.
He clarified that the alternative does not involve replacing the entire crop (whatever it may be) with bamboo, but rather cultivating it on a portion of the land.
Farmers were unable to cultivate bamboo while it was under the jurisdiction of the forest department. It is now brought under the horticulture department, he added.
Bamboo takes four years to cultivate without yield, but afterwards, it gives a steady annual income for 90 years. After initial care, a bamboo sapling generates shoots every time it grows on its own. "That doesn't imply we nurture for a while and then abandon it. We have to take care of it like any other crop for better yield," Nagi Reddy said, adding that because it is a water-intensive crop, it is not suitable for semi-arid regions.
When questioned if there is a market for bamboo, the APSAM vice-chairman stated that it is expanding the market rapidly. "We have a community called Medara (bamboo weavers) who make a living by producing bamboo products. Bamboo has long been an important part of our lives and culture. It is used for crop fencing, particularly as a support guard for banana plants, for feed and catch baskets for aquaculture, used for various rituals in daily life and even for making Agarbatti (incense) sticks,” he explained.
Bamboo is imported from Assam and other north eastern states as it is not cultivated in the state.
On an average, 150 to 200 trucks load of bamboo arrive AP from those states.18-feet long bamboo costs around Rs.90 to Rs.100. At present, a few farmers have taken up cultivation of bamboo on an experimental basis and results are expected in a year or two.
Plan B is a revenue-increasing strategy for farmers. After four years, it provides a consistent annual income for 90 years. Farmers can receive a 60% subsidy under the National Bamboo Mission.
