Govt to promote bamboo as source of biofuel

New Delhi: The Government is soon likely to bring a policy to promote bamboo sector which could be used to harness bio-fuel, revealed the Union Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister, Mr Nitin Gadkari at an event in New Delhi recently.

“I have been very diligently working towards diversification of agriculture into energy and power sector, I am happy to inform that I aggressively followed up with the matter and held three meetings with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and soon we will have a bamboo policy,” said Mr Gadkari while addressing an ASSOCHAM summit – Crop, Care & Doubling Farmers’ Income: Myths, challenges & way forward.

“Our petroleum minister has also signed 15 contracts to harness bio ethanol out of bamboo,” said Mr Gadkari.

He also said that second generation ethanol can be made using bamboo, cotton straw, rice straw and residual cane-waste (bagasse).

“I do not think future of farmers can be transformed by producing wheat and rice as such carrying out innovation, entrepreneurship, technology and research is very important,” he added.

Suggesting certain measures aimed at ensuring growth and development of agriculture sector, Mr Gadkari said, “There is a need to bring down costs per acre and also to promote allied sectors like dairy, fisheries, poultry and others.”

“In the current scenario, we need to boost productivity to promote economic viability which would lead to job generation and boost the gross domestic product (GDP), besides promoting agro-processing industries and bringing down costs of power, seeds, fertilisers and insecticides is equally imperative,” he added.

He further said that all of these steps together will lead to overall development of agriculture sector.

Highlighting that diversification of agriculture is most critical, he said that it is imperative to find substitute of petrol, diesel using agro-waste which would be import-substitute, cost effective, pollution-free and indigenous.