ASR District Collector T. Nishanthi.
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
Bamboo harvesting is set to commence in the Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) district from the first week of October, as part of an initiative to strengthen bamboo-based livelihoods among tribal and rural communities.
A video conference was held on Wednesday under the leadership of the officials from the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) to review preparations for the harvesting and discuss measures to develop an integrated bamboo value chain in the district. During the meeting, discussions were held on sustainable utilisation of bamboo resources, harvesting, collection and transportation, besides processing, value addition, livelihood promotion and establishing market linkages.
Under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) Bamboo Subsector Programme, Andhra Pradesh has been assigned a target of covering 35,000 farmers during 2026-27. Of this, the ASR district has been given a target of 5,000 farmers across 11 mandals.
The programme seeks to provide sustainable livelihood opportunities to the farmers, vulnerable landholders and economically disadvantaged tribal communities by promoting bamboo cultivation, harvesting, processing and marketing. The varieties being promoted include Bambusa tulda and Dendrocalamus longispathus, which officials said had potential for value addition and wider market opportunities.
District Collector T. Nishanthi said that as of September 30, a total of 3,504 farmers had been registered under the programme in ASR district. Against the requirement of 2,10,240 saplings, 1,54,100 had been distributed, while 1,454 farmers had completed plantation.
She stated that the administration is also planning to move beyond cultivation and harvesting by promoting primary processing units. Raw bamboo would be processed into products such as split bamboo for boards, flooring and furniture, bamboo strips for cabinetry and interior products, and bamboo sticks for incense sticks, toothpicks, skewers and chopsticks. Bamboo pellets could also be produced for use as biomass fuel in industrial boilers and furnaces.
The district administration is focusing on developing the bamboo value chain from cultivation and harvesting to primary processing, value addition and marketing, with the objective of increasing economic benefits for tribal families, she said.
Published – September 30, 2026 08:05 pm IST
