KOCHI: Inaugurating the Bamboo Innovation Centre at Kerala State Bamboo Corporation (KSBC) headquartered at Angamaly, Kerala Industries Minister E P Jayarajan hoped that the centre will develop value added products which can be sold in global market. The new concept gave a fillip to the ailing corporation which had witnessed multiple lay-offs in the past three years.
The centre will help introduce the bamboo industry in the state to the latest developments in the global bamboo sector and open the doors of opportunity to artisans here. The centre has also the backing of the State Bamboo Mission. It will also give training to artisans.
"The bamboo sector has been using traditional methods for long. But in order to scale up, it has to embrace technology. At present, the product range using bamboo as raw material is limited to handicrafts. With the formation of the innovation centre we are hopeful of making value added products," said T Sukumaran Nair, managing director, KSBC.
KSBC, a government of Kerala undertaking, was established in 1971, with an aim to support and uplift the bamboo weaving and reed cutter community as well as other traditional workers depending on bamboo resources. Over one lakh individuals, who are either engaged in reed cutting, mat weaving or making handicraft articles have benefited from the Corporation.
About 20,000 workers and 115 employees are associated with the KSBC, headquartered in Angamaly. The workers are scattered in Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts. In Kerala, bamboo cultivation is spread across an area of 21,123 sq km. The estimated stock of bamboo in the state is 26.30 lakh tonnes with yearly availability of around 16,000 tonnes.