Bamboo Plantations (2)

• Bamboos grow more rapidly than trees and start to yield within three or four years of planting. • Plantation establishment requires minimal capital investment and builds upon the inherent plant-cultivation skills of local farmers and foresters. • Bamboos can be harvested annually and non-destructively. • Bamboos are excellent for rejuvenating degraded lands and protecting against soil erosion. • Bamboos may easily be intercropped with shallow-rooted crops. • As well as the culms, all other parts of the bamboo plant can be used in rural livelihoods - shoots for food, leaves for fodder, and branches for items such as brooms and for firewood.Plantation establishment requires minimal capital investment and builds upon the inherent plant-cultivation skills of local farmers and forester