China offers all possible help to make National Bamboo Mission (NBM) successful, especially in the North-Eastern states.

If everything goes well, North-East bamboo industry will soon get a facelift from China. China is showing keen interest in providing technological aid for developing bamboo industry in the region.

Recently two meetings were held between  Chinese delegation and State Governments of Assam and Tripura. In both the meetings, China expressed its desire for joint collaboration with North-East to revolutionise the bamboo sector in the region. 

“The climatic condition in the bordering areas between the North-East and China is the same which favours large scale production of bamboo,” Quisheng said after meeting the Assam Chief Minister. Rating the quality of bamboo produced in North-East as “very good”, the Chinese technologist said.

Tripura Forest and Rural Development Minister Jiten Choudhury said, “The Nanjing Forestry University is willing to help Tripura in developing tiles of bamboo and if this initiative is successful, it will be immensely beneficial for the state’s economic development and make it self-sufficient.” Mr. Choudhury said that the meeting held in New Delhi was attended from the Chinese side by Vice Chancellor of the Nanging University Prof Zhiang and Director of the Bamboo Engineering and Research Centre (BERC) Dr Munijie Guang. Tripura Government was represented by Choudury and Member and Technical Expert in the National Rain Fed Area Authority and Tripura Bamboo Mission Coordinator and Director of Industries Dr V K Bahuguna. “It has been agreed in the meeting that bamboo specimens will be sent to BERC for testing and selection of machines,” Choudhury informed.

The Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre will arrange for the transportation of the bamboo specimens to China and Tripura Forest Development Corporation will meet the cost of transportation.

Based on the reports of tests, the matter will progress further after the visit of the BERC to Agartala, the minister informed.

Meanwhile, commercial cultivation of the “green gold”—bamboo—and production of modern value-added products are gradually gaining momentum under the aegis of the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) which was set up a year ago. Eight states of North-Eastern India and four other states, namely, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand have already followed the suit by initiating bamboo development programmes at their end.

Arunachal Pradesh has set up its bamboo development agency and its bamboo mission for conservation of genetic resources. Two bamboo-based units have been set up—one at Namsal for producing structural material and another at Chowkham for producing bamboo mats. A certification laboratory for seed and vegetative planting material is likely to be set up by the state forest research institute, while nurseries are set up at places. In Assam , NBM has planned value-addition projects at Kamrup, Tinsukia, Sonitpur, Silchar, while for Guwahati, an outlet to showcase handicraft and bamboo products is on the anvil.

In Manipur, people depends much on Muli bamboos which often proves counter-productive, particularly when the bamboos flower. This species turn soft and brittle at both pre and post flowering stages, making it commercially unviable. Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre (CBTC) along with the state bamboo development agency and forest department are working for better utilization of Muli bamboos.Meghalaya has a long tradition of different uses of bamboo. NBM has envisaged bamboo cultivation on degraded lands. Mizoram has experienced both productive and destructive impact of bamboo. It has experienced periodic mautam, the famine famine induced by gregarious flowering of bamboo. But the benefits of bamboo far outweigh its disadvantages. CBTC is helping Mizoram in implementing its bamboo policy and be a part of NBM.

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