Food, fuel, and timber: How bamboo is becoming ‘green gold’ for farmers
Bamboo, often called the “poor man’s timber,” has now earned the title “green gold” due to its profitability for farmers. Modern cultivation techniques have made bamboo farming more rewarding than crops like sugarcane and cotton. Recognizing its potential, the National Bamboo Mission and the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture are promoting bamboo farming across India. These initiatives aim to boost farmers’ income by encouraging the use of bamboo as a sustainable alternative to wood in various industries.
Bamboo, hailed commonly as the “poor man’s timber”, has emerged as a money-spinner for farmers to get a rather fancy epithet “green gold”. Its cultivation with modern agronomic practices is proving more rewarding than many other crops, including the highly lucrative ones like sugarcane and cotton.
Recognising its potential to increase farmers’ income, the revamped National Bamboo Mission and the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture are implementing schemes to promote bamboo farming in different parts of the country. Their programmes include measures to encourage the use of bamboo as an alternative to wood in various sectors.
