JOIN USKVIC promotes bamboo, sandalwood plantation
The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is exploring the untapped but highly profitable venture of sandalwood and bamboo tree plantation to monetise its assets.
To encourage commercial plantation of sandalwood and bamboo, the KVIC began a drive with the plantation of 500 saplings each of sandalwood and bamboo at its Nashik training center spread over 262 acres.
Union Minister for MSMEs Nitin Gadkari lauded this initiative of KVIC, a press statement said.
The KVIC procured sandalwood saplings from the Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC) Kannauj, a unit under the Ministry of MSME, from Uttar Pradesh and bamboo saplings from Assam. The plantation ceremony was launched through video-conference by KVIC chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena.
The plantation of sandalwood has been planned keeping in mind its monetary value. It is estimated to fetch KVIC between Rs 50 crore to Rs 60 crore in the next 10 to 15 years. A sandalwood tree matures in 10 to 15 years and, based on the current rate, sells at Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh each.
Likewise, a special variety of bamboo, Bambusa Tulda, used for making Agarbatti sticks, from Assam has also been planted in Maharashtra with an aim to support the local Agarbatti industry and to create regular income for the training center.
A bamboo plant gets ready for harvest in the third year. Each matured log of bamboo, weighing approximately 25 kg, sells at an average of Rs 5 per kg. At this rate, one mature log of bamboo fetches nearly Rs 125.
This bamboo plant has a unique quality. Each plant, after the third year, produces a minimum of 5 logs and doubles thereafter. This means, the 500 bamboo saplings will provide at least 2500 bamboo logs in the third year and will generate an additional income of nearly Rs 3.25 lakh to the institution which will grow nearly twice every year. In terms of quantity, 2500 bamboo logs will weigh approximately 65 MT (metric tonne) of bamboo that will be used for making Agarbatti sticks..
In the last few months, KVIC planted nearly 2500 trees of Bambusa Tulda in different parts of India. 500 saplings of Bambusa Tulda have been planted in each of the cities like Delhi, Varanasi and Kannauj apart from the latest plantation in Nashik to ensure local availability of raw material for Agarbatti manufacturers at a reasonable cost.
“Plantation of sandalwood and bamboo trees on vacant land aims at monetisation of the property. At the same time, it will serve the dual purpose of meeting the huge global demand of Sandalwood while Bamboo plantation will support the local Agarbatti manufacturers in the light of the recent decision taken by the Central government to make India ‘Aatmanirbhar’,” KVIC Chairman, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said. “We are identifying more such properties of KVIC across the country where such plantations can be launched,” Saxena said, adding that if farmers start planting just two sandalwood trees in their fields, they would be economically self-dependent to meet any financial eventuality.
Plantation of sandalwood trees has high potential in the export market as well. Sandalwood and its oil have high demand in countries like China, Japan, Taiwan, Australia and the USA. However, sandalwood is in short supply which makes this initiative an opportunity for India to increase sandalwood plantation and be a global leader in sandalwood production.