Growing with bamboo

“Farming in Sikkim is rainfall-dependent. Only 15 per cent of the total area of the state is agricultural land. On 25 hectares,we have constructed 1,620 polyhouses at a cost of Rs 31,000 per polyhouse. The advantage of the bamboo polyhouse is that it protects the crop from rough weather and accumulates carbon dioxide generated by the plants,which they recycle for growth. This increases production by almost 25 per cent. We also harvested the water that came down the polyhouse roofs,so we wouldn’t suffer despite the scanty rainfall in the state,” says Ravindra Telang,former secretary,Department of Agriculture,Sikkim.

“With an area of 250 sq m,each of these polyhouses can generate an annual income of Rs 80,000 to Rs 1,00,000 for the farmer. After the implementation of the initial phase was successful,we now plan to provide bamboo polyhouses to over 40,000 families that do farming above an altitude of 3,500-4,000-m,” says K.K. Singh,Director,Horticulture,Sikkim.

Having patented the technique in India in 2008,Edke was approached by the National Bamboo Mission to construct over 1,500 polyhouses in Sikkim’s northeastern regions. “Conventional polyhouses are constructed using steel rods that not only make the structure bulky,but also increases the cost of production. For instance,the cost of a steel rod is Rs 900 per meter whereas that of bamboo is just Rs 300. Bamboo is an agricultural product and its flexibility is well known. Being organic,it absorbs lesser heat compared to steel rods and creates an ideal atmosphere for the plants to grow. And it is available locally,which cuts down the transportation cost and creates a market for local bamboo producers,” says Edke,who has now applied for a patent of the technique in China.