By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 19 Jul: Bamboo is emerging as an important multiple-use plant both in forests and agricultural lands. Bamboo as a traded commodity has excellent potential to contribute to inclusive development, foreign trade balance as well as in building resilience in the context of climate change. As the domestic bamboo production area and the productivity have been on the decline, alternate strategies for augmentation of domestic bamboo production have been contemplated in the domain. Keeping this in view, Extension Division, Forest Research Institute, organised three days of training on “Growing and Utilisation of Bamboo” from 17 to 19 July at Dhulkot, under the Demo Village programme. Dr AK Pandey, Head, Extension Division, FRI, inaugurated the training on 17 July at Dhulkot. He said that Bamboo is the species that is helpful in achieving sustainable development goals including livelihood generation and employment creation. A broad spectrum of knowledge on different aspects of bamboo cultivation, environment friendly technologies for bamboo seasoning treatment, manufacture of composite bamboo products, structural uses of bamboo and propagation of bamboo was provided to participants. At the closing ceremony, today, Arun Singh Rawat, Director, FRI, said that the training would be beneficial for participants in many ways. He said the programme is over but, even after this training, anybody who wanted scientific knowledge on bamboo and in the field of forestry was free to contact the Institute at any time. The Head, Extension Division, added that scientific knowledge gained ought to be disseminated to others. Forty participants from the North-East, Gujarat, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Uttarakhand including Farmers, Students, Representatives of NGOs and SHGs participated in the training. Certificates were also provided by the Director, FRI, to participants. The programme was organised with active cooperation of CBED, Krishi Van Centre, Dhulkot.
