Farmers can soon get bamboo produce ‘treated’ to keep worms at a bay in Rishikesh where the second bamboo treatment plant is coming up. The plant will facilitate the farmers involved in bamboo farming in storing their produce for long.
The plant, coming up at an estimated cost of Rs20 lakh, will be ready to use by September. It would be equipped with sophisticated machines that treats bamboo with the chemicals which keeps termites and other worms away from the produce. Once the produce is treated, it could be preserved for long duration.
It will enable the farmers to sell their crops as and when they get good rates. The articles prepared from bamboo will be more durable. Uttarakhand Bamboo and Fiber Development Board (UBFDB), which has taken efforts to bring up the plant, observes that it would also enhance bamboo production in the regions.
Project manager at UBFDB Bhavtosh Bhatt said, “The plant will facilitate the farmers in a great way since they would be able to protect their produce for long duration after treatment at the plant. The articles made using the bamboos will sustain for long time.”
The plant will also help in enhancing the bamboo farming in the region since it would make the whole affair a profit making business. Bhatt, who propagates advantages of bamboo farming among farmers, underlines an environmental-friendly trait of bamboo farming.
“Bamboo is a crop that helps in environmental conservation. After planting saplings once, the farmer can reap benefits for 50 long years. They may sell off the crops every year. Farmers should know that they are helping directly in environmental conservation if they take to bamboo farming since the bamboo crop produces fresh oxygen and consumes poisonous gases,” Bhatt said.
The UBFDB is also active for creating facilitation centres for the bamboo farmers so that they could get better price for their produce. The farmers in the areas like Udham Singh Nagar suitable for bamboo farming are being encouraged to try bamboo farming once.
“The first treatment plant was set up in Udham Singh Nagar since several farmers are involved in bamboo farming. Interest of farmers in the bamboo farming has increased since they could store their produce for long duration after it was treated at a plant,” Bhatt said. The second bamboo treatment plant, which is under-construction, will also promote the farmers for bamboo farming in the region.