Maharashtra Pushes Bamboo Cultivation to Tackle Climate Change and Boost Farmers’ Lives
Mumbai: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared exciting plans on Thursday to kickstart a bamboo industry policy in Maharashtra. The focus? Building a sustainable market that ramps up bamboo cultivation and helps fight climate change in farming.
Speaking at the Bamboo Conference in Mumbai, organized by the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA) and Phoenix Foundation, Fadnavis highlighted how bamboo could transform agriculture. He announced that the state government will roll out the Bamboo Mission on a full mission mode soon.
"Bamboo is a game-changer for farmers battling climate change," Fadnavis said. He compared it to sugarcane – once you plant it, it doesn’t demand constant care. Unlike crops like cotton and soybean, which suffer from erratic weather, bamboo stands strong and cuts down those risks.
To make this happen, the government aims to build an integrated ecosystem for bamboo farming. This includes strengthening the demand and supply chain to encourage more farmers to join in. Fadnavis urged researchers to develop fast-growing bamboo varieties that yield in just two years instead of three. He also suggested planting Napier grass alongside bamboo for even better results.
The CM revealed that the state will tweak its procurement policy to include bamboo products, giving a big push to local production. In districts with energy projects, bamboo cultivation will get special attention. The government plans a massive drive to plant bamboo on fallow lands, including 5,000 trees in Gadchiroli to suit its natural habitat.
Farmers won’t go it alone – the state-run power company MahaGenco will support bamboo farming, similar to how MNREGA works for rural jobs. A detailed plan is in the works to make this smooth.
Fadnavis wrapped up by promising government help on bamboo market prices and availability. "We’ll create a solid policy through the Energy Department to ensure farmers have a ready market for their bamboo products," he added.
This bamboo initiative could be a boon for sustainable agriculture in Maharashtra, offering farmers a resilient crop amid growing climate challenges.
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