Taiyebpura, a small village in Matar taluka of Kheda district, has become a centre of attraction for farmers, environmentalists, and forest officials of the Gujarat government.

And Taiyeb Mohammed Zamindar, an 80-year-old farmer of the village, has become an advisor to many other farmers.

All this has happened because of the bamboo plants that Zamindar had planted 15 months ago in 25 acres of land. Usually, bamboo grows in forests, but Zamindar has succeeded in achieving this feat in an area where major crops are wheat and paddy.

Bamboo, as a farm crop, takes at least four to five years before it is ready for harvest. However, Zamindar’s bamboo crop will be ready next year. This, he claims, is record time considering the local climate and soil conditions.

The bamboo variety planted in Taiyebpura is bambusa balcooa. It is a clumping bamboo of Indian origin.

The bamboo farming project in Kheda district village was carried out under the guidance of Dr N Bharathi, who is advisor to the Central and state governments on bamboo.

Dr Bharathi is also an advisor to Gujarat Bamboo Mission, and MD Growmore Biotech Ltd Bangalore, which has been the force behind the farming of the plant in Taiyebpura.

Bharathi said, “It is a no-death plant. The bamboo is an answer to global warming as it absorbs the highest amount of carbon. Its growth is fast because of the absorption of carbon from the atmosphere and this makes it good for the environmentas well.”

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