The move is aimed for optimum utilisation of raw bamboo and higher profitability in the bamboo industry

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has urged the Government of India to lift the export prohibition on bamboo charcoal for optimum utilisation of raw bamboo and higher profitability in the bamboo industry. One of the biggest challenges that the Indian bamboo industry faces today is the extremely high input cost owing to the inadequate utilisation of bamboo. However, the export of bamboo charcoal would ensure complete utilisation of the bamboo waste and thus make the bamboo business more profitable.

KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena has written to Union Minister of Commerce and Industries, Piyush Goyal, seeking to lift the export restriction on bamboo charcoal for the larger benefit of the bamboo industry.

Saxena said the bamboo waste can be best utilised by making ‘Bamboo Charcoal’ which, though has very limited use within the domestic market but is hugely in demand in the international market. However, the Indian bamboo industry is not able to tap the opportunity due to its ‘export prohibition.’ Considering the repeated requests of the industry, KVIC has requested the government to consider lifting the export restriction on bamboo charcoal.

Notably, the world import demand for bamboo charcoal has been hovering in the range of $1.5 to 2 billion and has been growing at the rate of 6 per cent in recent years. Bamboo charcoal for barbeque sells for about Rs 21,000 to Rs 25,000 per ton in the international market. Besides, it is also used for soil nutrition and as a raw material for manufacturing activated charcoal. Rising import demand is witnessed in countries like the US, Japan, Korea, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France and the UK at negligible import duty.