India Trade & Exposure Delegation Trip to China on Bamboo Technology
Date :: 20—27 August 2011

Programme for India Trade & Exposure Delegation
Trip to China on Bamboo Technology, Trade and Development
20—27 August 2011
Hangzhou, P.R.China

Organized by: China National Bamboo Research Center (CBRC) China
India North East Federation on International Trade (NEFIT), India
South Asia Bamboo Foundation (SABF)

Cooperated by: Anji Forestry Bureau of Zhejiang Province, China (AFB)
Lin'an Forestry Bureau of Zhejiang Province, China (LFB)
Ruian Forestry Bureau of Zhejiang Province, China (RFB)

1. BACKGROUND

Bamboo is the globally largest and key Non-timber Forest Products (NTFPs) for its being rapid-growth, short-cycle, versatile, renewable, especially a harmonious value cluster in socio-economy and ecology. China, known as a "Bamboo Kingdom", is not only the biggest country of bamboo resources, but also has art-of-the-state technology, sustainable management, and rich experience in bamboo resources utilization, or in an internationally advanced position in many areas of bamboo. Through 40 years' painstaking efforts, China has achieved tremendously in bamboo plantation management and integrated processing and utilization on an industrialization and commercial scale and its total production value in China in 2009 is over US$ 9 billion, in which 1.1 US$ billion from export value.

There is a famous saying goes in the world bamboo circles, "China reflects world bamboo progress, while Zhejiang Province epitomizes China's bamboo achievements". Only having 10% of Chinese territory, Zhejiang boosts 30% of the total national bamboo production. Bamboo is becoming a pillar of agriculture economy and is playing more and more active and important roles in poverty alleviation for well-being, women employment, forestry products supply, ecological environment improvement.

Similar to China, India is a big country with abundant bamboo resources, a long history of bamboo use and huge bamboo development potential. The North East Region of India has 63 species of 20 genera bamboo, which is acknowledged as store house of bamboo having more than 54% of national bamboo resources. Bamboo has traditional roots with the people of this region and associated with the cultural and living habits. However India is not much developed in bamboo utilization of industrialization and commercialization scale except bamboo paper. Therefore, India is desirous to make a proper transfer of Chinese successful bamboo development technologies, policies and experience to India as an approach to local environment protection, employment generation and poverty alleviation. Through this trip, a platform and linkage for the officials, entrepreneurs, and technicians between the two countries is expected to be established for accelerating their bamboo development.

Headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, CBRC is the only state-level bamboo research institute in China and has 3 missions enshrined by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and State Administration of Forestry (SAF): (a) Bamboo R.&D.; (b) International bamboo economic and technical cooperation; and (c) Bamboo industrialization promotion. Up to now, CBRC has already held with great success 36 training workshops in China and Africa entrusted by the Ministry of Commence of China (MOFCOM), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) etc. and around 1000 participants from nearly100 countries have been well trained, meanwhile, CBRC also conducts widely international R. & D. on bamboo with over 30 countries as Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, India, Viet Nam, Australia, Japan, the U.S.A, Germany etc., which has greatly promoted the world bamboo industry.

2. OBJECTIVE

2.1 General Objective

To facilitate the rapid transfer of Chinese successful experiences and technologies for development of bamboo industries in the Northeast India.

2.2 Specific Objective

a) To train selected groups of people from the NE Indian States in bamboo technologies and products so that these form the core of an expert group to backstop bamboo development in their individual State;

b) To disseminate the technology and experience in China in sustainable bamboo forest management;

c) To help the group to realize the great potential of bamboo as an industrial material.

3. METHODOLOGY

This programme will combine in-house lectures with field visit and operational practices and cooperation by discussion

4. DATE AND DURATION From August 20 to 27, 2011

5. VENUE

Zhejiang Province, P. R. China.

8. LIAISON ADDRESS

For India Side
Mr. Mrinal Hatkhowa
General Secretary
North East Federation of International Trade
Neeraj Kunj,Saraswati Vihar, Near NRL Petrol Pump, Zoo Road, Guwahati -781005.
Fax : +91361-2200663
Email : [email protected]
Website : www.nefitindia.com

Mr. Kamesh Salam
Founder and Executive Director
South Asia Bamboo Foundation
Post Box ;105, Guwahati -781001, Assam
Email : [email protected]
Website : www.worldbamboo.net

For China's Side

Prof. & Dr. Ding Xingcui
Director of International Cooperation Division
China National Bamboo Research Center (CBRC)
No. 310, Wenyi Rd., Hangzhou, 310012
Zhejiang Province
P.R. China
Phone : +86 571 88869217
Fax : +86 571 88869217, 88860944
Email:[email protected]

NORTHEAST FEDERATION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE (NEFIT)

NEFITis non-government trade organisation of North East India with its registered office in Shillong. NEFIT is recognized by the Union Ministry of Trade and Commerce, Government of India to issue 'Certificate of Origin' as specified in the Handbook of Procedures for EXIM trade. Since its inception NEFIT has been working selflessly in the North East region of the country to facilitate International Trade with neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and also Thailand.

We have been part of many advisory committees which had been set up by various Government agencies with regards to formulation of Trade and Industrial Policies for the North Eastern states. We are instrumental in earning revenues for the country's coffers in terms of Foreign Exchange through International Trade practices. Apart from that we have also actively participated in establishing good bilateral relationship with neighboring countries through our various engagements with Trade Associations of those countries.

We have good working relationship with 'Bangladesh Enterprise Institute' Dhaka, headed by Ex-Foreign Secy. Of Bangladesh Mr. Farooq Sobhan. NEFIT has already signed a number of MOUs with different Chambers of Commerce like –

• Chittagong Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Bangladesh (CCCI)
• Dhaka Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Bangladesh (DCCI)
• Sylhet Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Bangladesh (SCCI)
• Union of Myanmar Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Myanmar (UMFCCI)

NEFIT is also actively promoting trade relations between North East India and Thailand as well as South East China as a part of India's' Look East' policy. In this regard NEFIT has been pushing for increase in quantum of overland trade with Myanmar and the ASEAN nation which will give a big boost to trading activities in North East region because then the goods need not be routed through the port of Kolkata, thus cutting down the price of the commodities and making it more competitive in the International market.

SOUTH ASIA BAMBOO FOUNDATION (SAbF)

South Asia Bamboo Foundation (SABF) is a Chapter for South Asia of the WBO, a non-profit trade association (501-c6) formed to facilitate the exchange of information from around the world on the environmental, socioeconomic, biological, and cultural aspects of bamboo. By bringing together local and regional bamboo people and creating mechanisms for global communication, WBO's goal is to facilitate the development of new partnerships and alliances to advance the causes of bamboo and furthering the efforts of bamboo practitioners worldwide.

Kamesh Salam
Founder and Executive Director
South Asia Bamboo Foundation (SABF)
www.worldbamboo.net

See the entire announcement in PDF format (271 KF) here

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** Kamesh Salam (Founder and Executive Director, South Asia Bamboo Foundation (SABF) sent this annoucement to e-pao.net . The sender can be contacted at kameshsalam(at)gmail(dot)com
This Post is uploaded on July 15 2011.