Kanak-kaich bamboo cultivation helps small farmers

Kanak-kaich bamboo cultivation helps small farmers - Whatever be the crop, farmers need guidance at the right time for harvesting a good yield. Right from availability of good seedlings, pest management strategies, regular visits to the plantation sites by experts and sourcing a good market for the produce are not only a farmer’s tasks but also involve the experts dealing in the particular area.

“The job becomes more challenging when one has to work among tribals and small farmers because the land resources, climate and inhospitable terrain all add to the difficulty of achieving a good yield.

Small holdings

“The government of Tripura under the Tripura Bamboo Mission, a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative of the Government, has been able to help small and marginal farmers and tribals to grow a bamboo variety called kanak-kaich in their small holdings and also market their produce, thus helping them get some better income,” says Dr. Ram Narayan Pandey, Program Manager, Tripura Bamboo Mission (TBM).

The aim of the mission is to promote bamboo cultivation on individual lands for livelihood generation and enterprise development.

The target beneficiaries include schedule caste, schedule tribe and below poverty line households especially forest dwellers who have been allotted some small acres of land by the government. The district administration supports the initiative under MGNREGA (100 days rural employment scheme) for creation of sustainable assets and employment.

“We are trying to promote 5,000 hectares of commercial bamboo plantation in the next five years for rural employment and sustainable bamboo industries in the State,” says Mr. Pravin Agrawal, Director of TBM.

During the pilot scale implementation started four years ago, the innovative high density bamboo variety has been able to get a good response from cultivators as a commercial crop for the poor.

Good demand
“More than 2,000 households in Tripura now grow kanak-kaich bamboo. About 350 applications have been received from several villages to undertake this bamboo plantation in the present year under MGNREGA (100 days rural employment scheme),” informs Dr. Pandey.

The cost of establishing an acre of kanak-kaich variety plantation for first three years works out to around Rs. 65,000. The expenditure incurred in the first three years is recovered in the first harvest done during the fourth year of planting and farmers can harvest the crop for 15 years without any intensive management.

According to Dr. Pandey, the average annual income from plantations was 65,000 per acre.

Saleable parts include bamboo poles at Rs.3 to Rs.15 per pole and the bamboo shoots sold at Rs. 5 to Rs.7 as planting material.

Annual income
Mr. Ratindra Acharjee from Vidyasagar gram panchayat who is growing this bamboo variety was able to get an annual income of Rs. 80,000 from an acre. He received the progressive farmer award during the first bamboo farmers’ conference held during January this year.

“It is the technology guidance from the bamboo mission and complete support under MGNREGA scheme that makes many people like me want to grow Kanak-Kaich variety,” he says.

Mr. Ranajit Debbarma, another farmer who planted the variety two years back, is now a proud owner of a motor cycle.

“This is the easiest way out to cross the line of poverty for tribal folks like us. Previously we were growing rubber trees. But rubber takes too long for a poor person to earn some money and this type of cultivation suits us,” he says.

Suitable areas
“Kanak-kaich variety can be cultivated as a rain-fed crop all over the country especially in the North-Eastern States, Maharashtra, Kerala (Western Ghats), Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, parts of West Bengal and Orissa where soil and air moisture is high most of the year. In other States it can be grown only under irrigated conditions” says Dr. Pandey.

About 60 trucks of Kanak Kaich bamboo moves out of Tripura every year and the number is expected to increase in the next three years when the recent plantations start yielding, according to Dr, Pandey.

For more Information interested farmers can contact Dr. Ram Narayan Pandey, Program Manager, Tripura Bamboo Mission, 1st Floor, Dasgupta Villa, North Side of Governor House, Kunjaban, Agartala 799 006. Tripura, email: ram.fri80@gmail.com and ram.pandey@ilfsindia and mobile:09436982074.

Why bamboo is booming again in Taiwan

Why bamboo is booming again in Taiwan - Bamboo is ubiquitous in Chinese culture. Sturdy and tenacious, it symbolises virtue.

In fact, the plant has had a profound impact on the daily life, culture and spirituality of the Chinese.

In the past, a wide variety of products were made from bamboo - from roof tiles and rafts, to shoes, furniture and agricultural tools.

But despite the close relationship between Chinese-speaking societies and the natural material, Taiwan's bamboo industry has suffered a decline in recent decades.

It nearly collapsed because of people's preference for more modern-looking products, or just cheaper plastic goods - and the impact of less expensive bamboo imports from China and South East Asia.

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Never did we imagine bamboo can be used to make so many different products”

Chen Ching-fu
General manager of the Bamboo Culture Park
Nowhere was this more apparent than in central Taiwan's Zhushan or "Bamboo Mountain" town.

Hundreds of families used to make bamboo products there in the centre of the country's bamboo industry. Now there are only about 50.

It's a trend reflected in other parts of Taiwan - only about 240 bamboo-products businesses remain on the island.

"In the past, every part of Taiwan had people working in this industry, but over the years, bamboo has been replaced by plastic or steel to make all sorts of products, such as clothes hanging poles, baby cribs, and furniture," says Yang Chun-hsien, director of the Forestry Bureau's reforestation and production division.

However, an earthquake and strong resolve on the part of the government and industry to continue using bamboo have led to a revival and transformation in its use.

In recent years, bamboo has been used to make items never before associated with the plant - from shampoo and insect repellent, to socks, gloves, and even roasted peanuts.

This reinvention of how bamboo is used has made it possible for the small family businesses which make up the industry to stay alive and to start reversing the decades of decline.

Health benefits?
At the height of bamboo production in Taiwan in the 1970s, more than 13 million stalks were harvested each year, and sales of the stalks alone - not including the finished products - amounted to $3.5m (£2.1m) per annum.

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Plastic is very cheap and can be used for longer, but what a shame, bamboo is more environmentally friendly”

Yang Chun-hsien
Forestry Bureau
But in the past decade, the annual harvest amounted to only about 1.67 million stalks with sales adding up to just $456,000 - a little over 10% of the peak level.

Production and sales, however, have been steadily climbing in recent years.

Following a devastating earthquake on 21 September 1999 centred in Nantou county, where Zhushan lies, the central government decided to help the local economy by commissioning the country's non-profit Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to find new ways to help the bamboo industry grow.

ITRI developed a method to carbonise bamboo stalks to produce high quality bamboo charcoal, which has a multitude of different uses.

Naturally insulating, the charcoal can be turned into fibres and woven into fabric to make hats, scarves, gloves, socks and pants.

Also said to be health giving, it is increasingly added to bodycare products, such as skin creams.

Yardley bamboo invasion disrupts neighbors

Yardley bamboo invasion disrupts neighbors -?A bamboo jungle that has choked the backyard of a vacant Bell Avenue property in Yardley and crept beyond property borders has long been a nuisance to neighbors on Longshore Avenue, whose own backyards abut the derelict parcel on Bell.
Carol Teeter and her next-door neighbor, who asked that her name be withheld, want something done about it.
Correspondent Elizabeth Fisher can be reached through editor Jackie Massott at 215-949-4185 or jmassott@calkins.com.

Bamboo Garden upset Warriors

Bamboo Garden upset Warriors - Last updated 09:54 29/04/2014
Bamboo Garden kicked off the Marlborough club table tennis interclub local competition on Thursday with a nail-biting win over top opposition.

The Bamboo Garden side, comprising Ping Muanwong, Nathan Cross and Boe Aitchison, just scraped past Warriors 23 games to 22 after matches were drawn 6-all. Warriors led 6-3 at one stage then Muanwong beat Matt Willis, Aitchison beat Ken Thompsett and Muanwong and Cross beat Willis and Nigel Schultz. Earlier Willis and Schultz had both beaten Aitchison and Cross in singles.

Thompsett, playing his first competitive match in five seasons, had a good 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 12-10 win over Muanwong. At times, it was vintage Thompsett with the heavy backspin on the backhand and the big booming forehand drives. Cross was playing his first match for Bamboo Garden and beat Thompsett in the first match of the night.

Three doubles wins to Jeff Sawyer, Warren Haszard and Ray Herd saw Arawa beat defending champions Full of Spirit 7-5, resplendent in their new uniforms. Warren Haszard picked up singles wins over Rex MC Caa and Simon Bishell, with Sawyer and Herd winning one each. Stephen McCaa shone for Full of Spirit with three wins, including a 5-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7 win over Haszard. McCaa has his own effective style and manages to position the ball around the table to set up winning forehand shots.

Wairau Valley beat Liquorland 7-5 in another close contest. Matt Pigou led the way by winning all his singles, his low body position enabling him to virtually attack any ball at will. Peter Wells and John Diamanti once again played out a five setter with Wells getting home 11-9, 11-2, 7-11, 8-11, 11-8. Lee Harborne, a prominent tennis player, filled in at number three and took two of his opponents to five sets and won a double with Pigou. Bruce Palmer was the pick of the Liquorland players winning two singles, including a first win over Wells, 6-11, 11-9,2-11, 11-9, 11-8.

Sue's Team won three doubles to get home 7-5 against Flaxbourne. Phil Henderson and Sue Heagney were in good early season form picking up two wins each. Joseph Kim was unbeaten in his doubles matches. Jeremy Phipps won his three singles for Flaxbourne but had to come from behind to beat Henderson by 8-11, 10-12, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8. Phipps was producing brilliant backhand shots all night. Barbara Burkhart and returning player, Ross Ward also won singles for Flaxbourne.

Three Lions beat MOM 11-1. Matt Millar and Kristin Ruwhiu were unbeaten with Millar being involved in one of the matches of the night, beating Martin Stephens 13-11, 11-13, 12-10, 13-11.

Cali Bamboo Launches GreenClaimed.com, a Green Building Website, Debuting the All-New, Made in the USA, Infinity™ Composite Decking Line

Cali Bamboo Launches GreenClaimed.com, a Green Building Website, Debuting the All-New, Made in the USA, Infinity™ Composite Decking Line - San Diego, CA (PRWEB) April 30, 2014

GreenClaimed®, a green building materials brand created by Cali Bamboo, recently launched a new website that features eco-friendly and sustainable building materials for floors, interior décor, and decks, including a new 100% recycled Infinity™ composite deck line.

GreenClaimed® offers building materials for commercial and residential building projects that reduce impact on the environment and natural resource requirements. Green building materials featured at GreenClaimed.com include bamboo, cork, eucalyptus, and now recycled composite hardwood decking.

The new website has been optimized for a simple user experience, and offers a quality viewing experience on desktops and tablets alike. Users can explore products and order samples, find tips and helpful tutorial videos, get advice from green building experts, generate ideas for home improvement projects, and engage in social media conversations.

The pride of the new GreenClaimed® website is an all-new Made in the USA decking product line. Infinity™ Composite Decking is 100% recycled containing 50% reclaimed hardwoods from the furniture industry and 50% recycled HDPE plastics such as milk and detergent bottles. Each plank is 16 feet long and is milled with an easy-to-install hidden fastener system. Infinity™ Composite Decking is forged with the InfinityShield™ protective barrier offering advanced protection from the elements and TrueOrganics™ wood grain texture for aesthetics. The product comes backed by a 25-year residential warranty.

To order a sample of Infinity™ composite decking or to explore the new GreenClaimed® website, visit http://www.GreenClaimed.com.

About Cali Bamboo

Cali Bamboo is one of the fastest growing green building material companies in the United States over the last decade with a vision to create innovative, sustainable building products for both residential and commercial projects in order to help make a positive difference in the future of the planet. Learn more at http://www.calibamboo.com or visit Cali Bamboo's newest green materials brand, GreenClaimed®, at http://www.greenclaimed.com.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/cali-bamboo/greenclaimed-launch/prweb11799429.htm



Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1884589#ixzz30OBm3u63

Bamboo Flooring Expansion Deformation

Bamboo Flooring Expansion Deformation - Bamboo flooring has beautiful color, flexible, anti-moisture, its hardness is stronger than solid wood flooring, but also keep the bamboo cool features. In addition, bamboo flooring also has the following characteristics:

Less color variation. Growth of small radius bamboo, not seriously affected by sunlight, there is no obvious difference between male and female faces, which is smaller than the wood floor color. Bamboo flooring manufactured by fresh bamboo has rich pattern and uniform color.

Strong hardness. Bamboo is one of the highest plant among all the hardness of the plant world, crude fiber structure of the plant, its natural hardness of the wood more than twice as high, and not easily deformed, the service life can reach 20 years.

Save resources. Bamboo growing considerably shorter than trees, generally 5-9 years for processing bamboo flooring is the most appropriate. Therefore, the use of bamboo flooring can help reduce the use of wood, and the cost is relatively cheap.

Small gap. Bamboo flooring is dried from single bamboo strips, wood flooring is dried whole. Therefore, bamboo flooring has small shrinkage because water treatment compared with wood flooring uniform.

Deformation. Bamboo floors are straight fibers pressed, easy to produce distortion. Wood flooring fiber arrangement is complicated, easy to distort. When the bamboo flooring and solid wood flooring while soaking in water for 24 hours, the swelling deformation rate of bamboo flooring is only half of solid wood flooring, very big difference. Bamboo flooring rate is only 0.8%.

Pavement with good overall results. Bamboo flooring is ruled by all-but good overall pavement effect. The wood floor texture has cut the chord pattern with different diameter cut ruled, paving difficult to obtain a good overall result.

Anti-moth. Moth-eaten plate of the main reasons for the sugar contained in the material itself. The manufacturer of bamboo flooring is used in sugar-free treatment, the material temperature cooking, which destroys the sugar, thereby undermining the insect food, played a role in anti-moth thoroughly. The most critical process of bamboo flooring bamboo flooring Unlike the traditional sense easy to crack and deformation rattan bamboo products. Bamboo flooring with different processing technology, is the original bamboo by modern mechanized steam, boiling, bleaching and other high-temperature sterilization treatment, processing into an integrated plate. Such as surface and bottom bamboo flooring is bamboo, glued together by the middle of fir, poplar and other soft materials, the flexural strength and surface hardness, wear degree is about twice higher than the wood floors and better flexibility.''


How to Bend Bamboo in a 90 degree angle?

How to Bend Bamboo in a 90 degree angle? - Bending green bamboo in a 90 degree angle is a very useful technique in bamboo furniture design (to shape the back or arms of a chair for example). This video will show you how to accomplish that...

Solid Bamboo Flooring Manufacturer BambooIndustry.com Announces Its Bamboo Veneer Collection

Solid Bamboo Flooring Manufacturer BambooIndustry.com Announces Its Bamboo Veneer Collection - BambooIndustry.com, a well-known solid bamboo flooring manufacturer, has recently released its bamboo veneer collection. BambooIndustry.com, a well-known solid bamboo flooring manufacturer, has recently released its bamboo veneer collection. Now, BambooIndustry.com is offering great discounts on all these new bamboo veneers and its solid bamboo flooring.

According to the sales manager of BambooIndustry.com, bamboo veneer is manufactured from bamboo blocks laminated with waterproof adhesive and kiln-dried bamboo strips. The bamboo blocks are first laminated, then conditioned and soaked for two weeks before being sliced into veneer sheets.

Bamboo veneer is ideal for any interior application like wall, ceiling, furniture covering, furniture, etc. Its grains can be horizontal or vertical; the colors can be natural or carbonized. The sales manager says the current promotion can help customers save much money when they buy bamboo products from a reliable supplier.

The sales manager has specially introduced strand woven bamboo veneer, which is a unique veneer type. He says, “This bamboo veneer is not regular bamboo veneer, like horizontal or vertical, but strand. We produce strand woven bamboo veneer in carbonized color and several other colors. The colors are not stained for surface, but deep inside of bamboo strips, from surface to inside.”

About BambooIndustry.com
BambooIndustry.com is a website that belongs to BothBest Bamboo Flooring Co. Ltd., which is a professional supplier and exporter of bamboo products, and certified by both ISO9001:2008 and ISO14001:2004. The company has 8 years of experience in the manufacturing and wholesale of bamboo flooring products. It strives to bring its customers the latest styles and innovations of bamboo flooring, bamboo paneling, bamboo plywoods, bamboo furniture, and other bamboo products.

More information about the business and its bamboo flooring products can be found at http://www.bambooindustry.com/products/bamboo-panel/bamboo-veneer.html.

New Technique to Make Furniture out of Bamboo

New Technique to Make Furniture out of Bamboo - Tables made from bamboo folded like origami paper, and chairs with unusual and complex designs... These are some of the items of furniture made by this week's innovator. Bamboo is strong and doesn't break easily. That's why it has been used since olden times for baskets, sieves and screens. But it does also tend to warp, and that's why it hasn't been used for larger furniture. It bends out of shape when it loses its moisture. After much experimentation, our innovator has found a way to prevent that distortion. What is his surprising technique? He says that he thought it up because it pained him so much to see the neglected state of the bamboo groves in his hometown. We see how perseverance pays off, as we trace the path and motivations of a truly dedicated bamboo craftsman and innovator.


Note: Due to the strict copyright regulations of NHK, this video has a high chance of getting removed.