MBDB distributes 14.50 lakh bamboo tissue culture saplings across State
05 Jul 2020 08:43:42
Around 2-year bamboo plantation at the field of Ramesh Dumare in Chikhlapar in Nagpur district.
Special Correspondent ;
Maharashtra Bamboo Development Board (MBDB) has almost completed distributing 14.50 lakh bamboo tissue culture saplings all over Maharashtra for plantation during monsoon. This year, the target was doubled from seven lakh plants last year. The bamboo plantation scheme for farmers is implemented by National Bamboo Mission through MBDB.
Bamboo plantation is targeted to be done in 3,315 hectares of agricultural land. Nearly 2,000 beneficiaries are selected from different parts of Maharashtra for this purpose. MBDB has developed the seedlings in seven Tissue Culture Laboratories and brought those to various nurseries of Social Forestry Department and Forest Department for distribution. It has developed seven species of bamboo -- Balcoa, Trictus, Katang, Nutans, Tulda, As per, and Stocksii for plantation. The farmers purchase a plant of two-feet height at Rs 35. The board, which gives stress on bamboo cultivation on farmers’ lands and boundaries, has developed 26 demonstration plots for training farmers. It has also appointed 11 co-ordinators covering 11 forest circles in the State.
It is conducting bamboo awareness programmes through exhibitions like AgroVision, Nagpur; Krishak in Baramati; and Jagruti Krishi Mahotsav at Nashik, besides holding workshops, farmers’ meets and lectures. The staff also explains economics of the programme saying that farmers could start earning income from the fourth year of plantation and then they do not have to worry for next 50 years. The board also held a programme at Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai for promoting corporate investment in bamboo sector. Meanwhile, MBDB had sent scientists and technicians from the laboratories to Indian Wood Science Technology, Bangalore, for obtaining training in bamboo tissue culture.
They were also supplied with culture for propagation of bamboo saplings of eight species. The board is promoting tissue culture nursery, plantation on agricultural lands of farmers, value addition to bamboo in handicraft, furniture, engineered bamboo, bamboo structures, and bamboo for non-conventional energy. TSK Reddy, Managing Director, MBDB, Nagpur, revealed this while talking to ‘The Hitavada’ here on Saturday. He said that bamboo sapling distribution programme would continue under Atal Bamboo Samruddhi Yojna in Maharashtra.
At present, MBDB is collecting applications from cultivators for requirement of seedlings. It is expected that around 30 lakh saplings would be distributed under the scheme. The application forms are available with the Range Forest Officers and online at mahaforest.gov.in, he pointed out. Mahrashtra Government started this scheme in 2019. Under the scheme, 600 tissue culture bamboo plants are being supplied to farmers for plantation in one hectare of land. The subsidy of 50 per cent and 80 per cent of the cost of bamboo plants is given to cultivators having land holding more than four hectares and less than four hectares respectively, Reddy said. As part of promoting value addition to bamboo, the board set up common facility centres at some places by procuring machines.
The centres will be working with full capacity in the near future. The bamboo artisans can use the centres for handicraft, furniture making, value addition to bamboo articles, treatment etc. There are many unorganised workers engaged in producing articles/items in a traditional way with old tools, wasting raw material and man hours as they cannot afford modern tools and technologies. The board has taken initiative in incense stick making, handicraft, furniture, jewellery etc providing employment opportunities to workers to earn livelihood. At present, two bamboo clusters -- Sakoli and Wardha -- are sanctioned through Ni-MSME, involving a cost of Rs 3.71 crore, Reddy added.