Bamboo and value addition: a boon for industrial development

Abstract

Bamboo has been increasingly used as a substitute for tropical timber in the International market. Value-added bamboo products are becoming popular due to their characteristics of durability and strength, which resemble the qualities of tropical wood while providing an equally sustainable alternative. Bamboo is considered a grass with rapid growth. As it is a colony plant, it produces new canes (culms) every year from the root system. After 3 to 5 years, culms are ready for harvest, depending on the species. Every year, 5–6 culms can be harvested (from the species that are growing in clumps). Due to this feature, bamboos are mostly used in the rural and semi-urban areas to make houses and so is known as 'poor man's timber. Bamboo shows a very significant part in day-to-day survives (lodging, service, revenue, gasoline, etc.). Lately, bamboo has also found more uses in the manufacturing areas as well as in transitory assemblies. Moreover, being a vital section of cottage and rural business, it is also utilized in some dedicated different usages such bamboo wood, bamboo based-laminates, floor tiling, strengthening in cement material etc. Pulp and paper, Gasoline (charcoal), Fixtures and Handcrafts (picnic basket, jewellery, ball-points, cycles etc.), Building (houses, channels framework, armoured, barriers, concrete, boats), Harmonious Gadgets, Customary drugs, Food (shoots, wine) and silage. Separately from the varied usages of bamboo, the tender sprouts, being little in fat, rich in dietary fibre and mineral content, decent source of potassium, calcium, manganese, zinc, chromium, copper, iron and lesser quantity of phosphorus and selenium. The sprouts are eaten due to their unusual palate, flavour, medicinal and nourishing importance. Diverse value added foodstuffs such as nuggets, pickle and biscuit can be prepared from new bamboo sprouts. Anti-carcinogenic ingredients existing in sprouts marks them a regular portion of regime. It is assumed that bamboo extract offer anti-inflammatory effects. Thus, this paper discusses about the bamboo and its value addition via bamboo-based products industry's future.