Farmers opt for Bamboo cultivation

Mumbai: Nearly a thousand farmers across 50 villages in Marathwada have come up with a new model for bamboo farming. Bamboo is the new alternative to traditional crops, according to them and they are banking on bio CNG and ethanol. They will start farming from June in the hope that big companies will buy bamboo from them to make ethanol and bio CNG. The government is also having a tie-up with a few companies who can support the farmers in this endeavour, said an official.

"We have lost faith in traditional crops. They are not at all affordable for us. There are various reasons for that but drought is a major issue in traditional farming" said Ramesh Mane from Tandulwadi.

Mr Ramesh, Uddhav Gaikwad, Vishnu Solanke and their other friends have decided to go for bamboo with the melia dubia crop. From June to April, nearly 1,000 farmers from Shelu, Parbhani and Manwat district in Marathwada will start bamboo with melia dubia farming.

Mr Ramesh said, "We will dig pits for plantation from April. From June, we will start actual plantation, as it is a good time for plantation. We shifted to this crop, as it requires less water. "

Mr Vishnu said that they would take help from the government through the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).The government will give them an amount to work in their own farm. The government gives subsidy of Rs 507 per bamboo plant. For the next three years, they will get some amount at each stage of farming.