What’s in the news?

• ‘World Bamboo Day’ was celebrated recently (September 18).
• 25 experts from 11 countries met digitally to discuss the productive uses of bamboo.

Uses of Bamboo

• Bamboo shoots are emerging as high-value and safe edibles and growing in utility globally along with all other value-added bamboo products. The protein content in fresh bamboo shoots, considered as nutraceutical, can range between 1.49-4.04%. They also contain 17 amino acids, eight of which are essential for the human body.
• The tallest grass on earth has been a key ingredient in new antimicrobial soaps developed by scientists to fight the novel coronavirus.

About Bamboo:

• According to the National Bamboo Mission, India has the highest area (13.96 million hectares) under bamboo and is the second richest country after China in terms of bamboo diversity with 136 species. 
• The annual production of bamboo in India is 14.6 million tonnes and the bamboo-rattan industry in the country was worth ₹28,005 crore in 2017.
• China exports 68% of the world’s bamboo and rattan products.

National Bamboo Mission(NBM)

• It aims to inter-alia supplement farm income of farmers with focus on the development of a complete value chain of bamboo sector linking growers with industry.
• The NBM will be a sub-scheme of National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) under the umbrella scheme Krishonnati Yojana.
• The Mission envisages promoting holistic growth of the bamboo sector by adopting area-based, regionally differentiated strategy and to increase the area under bamboo cultivation and marketing. Under the Mission, steps have been taken to increase the availability of quality planting material by supporting the setting up of new nurseries and strengthening of existing ones.
• Recently the government permitted felling and transit of bamboo grown in non-forest areas. Government amended the Indian Forest Act, 1927 to exclude bamboo from the definition of tree under the Indian Forest Act, claiming it would improve the earnings of tribals and dwellers living around forests. 
• However, bamboo grown on forest lands would continue to be classified as a tree and would be guided by the existing legal restrictions.

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/bamboo-shoots-can-be-among-cheapest-immunity-boosters/article32644025.ece