Bamboo Shoot: Promising Future in Tripura.

       You love it or hate it. You blame it or deny it, but bamboo shoot shows promising future in the state. Why? Take a tour below.

Introduction of Bamboo Shoot:-

     Bamboo shoot! Locally known as Moya, bash kurul, in Tripura, bamboo shoot is one of the important vegetable that fetches huge demand by the people of the state. It is one of the important delicacies of the people since time immemorial.
    Bamboo shoot is long associated with vegetable of the people and it is in the culture and tradition of the people of the state. 

     Its popularity could be eye witnessed during the pre-monsoon time to early post monsoon period in every year. During this time, market starting from up market of capital city to fur flung area is full of bamboo shoot and poses huge demands.
     The first harvest fetches huge prices, similarly the last season also fetch huge market price. During the season, forest dwellers earn a portion of their income through selling of fresh bamboo shoots in the local market.

Bamboo Shoot Season:-

      Bamboo shoot production coincides with onset of monsoon and it ends during the month of August of every year. That means the bamboo shoot production and harvesting starts from the month of May to August of every year.
    Production of bamboo shoot is plenty during the month of June to July when the states receives good and well distributed monsoon rainfall.

Bamboo Species in Tripura:-

     In Tripura, nineteen species of bamboo are reported, these bamboo species are mentioned below (Forest department, Tripura):-

        1. Barak (Bambusa balcooa)

        2. Bari (Bambusa polymorpha)

        3. Mritinga (Bambusa tulda)

        4. Muli (Melocanna baccifera)

        5. Kali ( Bambusa nutans)

        6. Paora (Bambusa teres)

        7. Rupai ( Dendrocalamus longispathus)

        8. Dolu (Neohzeaua dullooa)

        9. Makal (Bambusa pallida)

       10. Pecha (Dendrocalamus hamiltonii)

       11. Kailyai (Oxytenthera nigrociliata)

       12. Kanak Kaich (Bambusa offinis)

      13. Kanthi bans (Dendrocalamus strictus)

       14. Tetua (Bambusa spp)

       15. Ish (Bambusa spp)

       16. Jai (Bambusa spp)

       17. Bonbash (Bambusa spp)

       18. Sairil (Melocalamus compactiflorus)

       19. Bobai (Bambusa spp)

    Of these total species of bamboo, the following species of bamboos are prominent and preferred for bamboo shoot:-

       • Muli bamboo alias Uathui

       • Mrittinga bamboo alias Uandal

       • Barak bamboo alias Uasur

       • Uamilik etc

   After the onset of monsoon, all the species of bamboo produces offshoot and starts regeneration process therefore, during this time Bamboo shoot abundantly available.

     Bamboo shoot in Tripura is harvested in two ways one, when the shoot is in the position of growth before its growth above the ground level which is popularly known as MOYA HAKUTWI which is comparatively costly than the bamboo shoot which are harvested when they are in the stage of six inches to one feet above the ground level.

Popularity of Bamboo Shoot in Tripura:-

   In Tripura, there are three to four delicacies that are prepared with the use of bamboo shoots during the season. In addition, dried bamboo shoot is also quite popular in the state. These delicacies are Moya gudak, Moya Awandru, Moya Chakhui and Moya Baja.

     In Tripura, more than 30 per cent of the total population of the state prefers bamboo shoots in their daily menu during the season which poses lots of demands during the season. 

       In Tripura, there are huge markets for the bamboo shoots but the problem is; the people of the state are yet to taste the value added bamboo shoot products in the state due to lack of any processing industry. In addition, people of the state also do not have that opportunity to enjoy their tasty delicacies beyond the natural production time or season of bamboo shoot this is also due to the lack of processing plants of the state.

      In the adjoining states like, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam and few other north eastern states also caters bamboo shoots for their daily delicacies.

    In Mizoram, people of the state have started innovative process of bamboo shoot processing for production of value added bamboo shoot products which are fetching good market value in the state.

     Bamboo shoot is in good demands in the south East Asian countries especially Thailand, Mayan mar and many other countries.

Exploring Bamboo Shoot for Value Addition:-

    Now the basic question is; what is the scope of bamboo shoots in the state? How long these traditional vegetable will last with the present perspective of bamboo availability in the state? Another question is; is there any scope for producing value added bamboo shoot product for ensuring to meet the year long demands of the people of the state.

    In Tripura, bamboo shoot is promising because, demands for bamboo shoot would continue, there would also be good marketing opportunity in the state as more than 30 per cent of the total population likes this delicacy.
   Since, bamboo shoot is seasonal but demands is perennial so, there is good opportunity for bamboo shoot based processing plants in the state that would cater the year long requirement and demands of the people of the state.

       Of course, there is another side of the story; bamboo species in the state is in declining stages due to various reasons like bamboo flowering, decline of over all forest so is decline of natural bamboo and unscrupulous extraction of bamboo by the people of the state.

      Therefore, reviving the bamboo resources in the state would be the first and foremost criteria before plunging in to the bamboo based any activity let it be the bamboo based value addition or bamboo shoot based processing plants. For tapping the bamboo based opportunity in the state, we should look into the followings:-

         • Reviving of bamboo resources in the state.

         • Encouraging the bamboo cultivation in the state.

       • Preventing the unscrupulous extraction of bamboo in the state.

         • Effective utilization of bamboo resources

         • Establishment of bamboo shoot processing plants

         • Production of value added bamboo shoot products

    Agritangkol dated 12.12.2011 at 01.47 P.M