It’s been a productive year for Sikkim. It got less than its share of rain compared to the annual average of 4,000 mm but its production of tomatoes, flowers and vegetables went up by 25 per cent. And the credit for it all goes to a technique developed by a Pune engineer that uses bamboo instead of steel rods to build polyhouses.

Developed by Rajesh Edke, the concept has reduced the cost of construction by over 60 per cent, making the polyhouse an affordable setup for farmers. The Sikkim government has constructed 1,620 polyhouses in the northeastern parts of the state and plans to set up over 40,000 in the long run.

“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.

... contd.