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Review of Developed Western Markets for Bamboo and Rattan Commodities of Nepal 1 1. Introducti on 2. Bamboo and Ratt an in Nepal Bamboo and ratt an are important renewable Bamboo and ratt an are known as Bans and Bet in natural resources which can reduce poverty Nepali language. These play an important role in if grown and managed on a sustainable basis. the Nepalese economy. Bamboos are used in daily Bamboo and ratt an-based handicraft s and household acti viti es in the rural as well as urban furniture are getti ng increasingly popular as they areas from ti me immemorial. Baskets, mats and are att racti ve, lighter and cheaper than similar sieves are the most widely used products in Nepal. wood- based products. Bamboo and ratt an-based handicraft s can be made even in rural areas, and Bamboo-based economic acti viti es are an intrinsic are easy to transport as they are lighter than part of both the rural as well as the urban socio- the handicraft s or furniture made from wood. economic life of Nepal. The rural economy is The raw materials for bamboo products are highly dependent on bamboo resources (Karki locally available all over Nepal. Establishment of and Karki, 1996). Marketi ng of bamboo and bamboo and ratt an-based cott age industries are its products is important source of income for increasingly identi fi ed as one of the important household. For many people who are socially and means of improving the income level of the poor economically under-privileged, the income from people in Nepal. Bamboo-based mat boards, the sale of the bamboo craft s that they make has bamboo ply and parquets are very att racti ve, remained as the main source of income for their durable and considered as environment-friendly livelihood. products and have internati onal market In Nepal, bamboo craft -makers living in the Despite the paramount importance of bamboo rural areas are the major producers of bamboo and ratt an resources, only limited eff orts have products. Ethnic groups such as Dom, Bin, been made to promote this sector in Nepal. As Rajbanshi, Chepang and Rai are the major a result of low or no investment in improving occupati onal castes involved in bamboo bamboo and ratt an designs and market craft smanship. The woven products such as basket promoti on, arti sans/craft -makers are facing and sieve are major bamboo products produced problems. Bamboo arti cles which are widely by them which are used in the rural and urban used for household purposes are being gradually areas of the country. replaced by less environment-friendly materials such as plasti cs. Many of the traditi onally Similarly, ratt an is also very important source of dependent bamboo and ratt an craft -makers who livelihood for the economically and socially weaker are also socially and economically disadvantaged secti ons of the Nepalese community. These are are facing economic hardship. At present, very used as raw materials for a variety of products, the litt le work has been done on exploring market demand for which is increasing both in nati onal opportuniti es for bamboo and ratt an products and internati onal markets. Ratt an is used mainly made in Nepal. Realizing these facts, Market for making rope, furniture frame, walking sti ck, Development of Bamboo and Ratt an Products with polo sti ck, umbrella handle, basket, sport goods, Potenti al (MDBRPP) Project commissioned a study mat, wicker work, stuffi ng and packing. Apart from on Review of Developed Western Markets for conventi onal uses, they also have many medicinal Bamboo and Ratt an Commoditi es of Nepal. This values. publicati on is based on the fi ndings of the study which basically synthesizes the ideas, views and In Nepal, ratt an products are becoming informati on collected through various consultati ve increasingly popular among the urban middle and meeti ngs and review of literature. upper class consumers. Specially, the demand for ratt an furniture is increasing as it is light in weight, Review of Developed Western Markets 2 for Bamboo and Rattan Commodities of Nepal easy to handle and comparati vely less expensive the craft -makers sell their products by themselves. than wood-based items. Although the current Someti mes the wholesaler provides the order of market of ratt an furniture is confi ned to urban specifi c products and collects them. When the areas only, the future of ratt an marketi ng in the wholesalers buy the products in bulk, they provide country is bright (Chaudhary and Paudel, 2008). advance to the craft -makers. Usually, the products are marketed through cash payment. In special Bamboo and ratt an industries play signifi cant occasions, they are also traded by exchanging with role in generati ng additi onal employment in the grains. In some cases, merchants hire the craft - country. In fact, bamboo-based local enterprises, makers for manufacturing bamboo products such especially in the mountain areas, have become as baskets and stools either by providing necessary important source of employment for both the materials or sharing the end products by 50%. rural and urban work-force (Karki and Karki, The bamboo products are also marketed in 1996). According to a study on bamboo and haat bazaar (open market). Bamboo furniture, ratt an growers, traders, manufactures and sellers basket, handicraft s and fl ooring material are the conducted by German Technical Cooperati on/ only traded products in industrial forms which Private Sector Promoti on (GTZ/PSP) in 2006 have potenti al for growth as substi tute wood i.e. in selected citi es and towns1 in relati on to the environment-friendly material and wide range of harvesti ng and producti on of bamboo and ratt an applicati ons. Due to soaring ti mber prices, the industries, the monthly turnover of the bamboo prospect of bamboo mat is also bright. enterprises ranges from Nepalese Rupees (NRs.) 5,000 to NRs. 10,000 in general and from NRs. In the markets of Kathmandu, the maximum 300,000 to even up to NRs. 500,000 in special numbers of bamboo products are handcraft ed cases (INCON, 2006). household items. Handcraft ed bamboo products account for about 75 % of the current market need. Most of the products do not require 3. Marketi ng of Bamboo and Ratt an extensive bamboo processing, and the costumers Products in Nepal are more interested in fi nal “fi nishing” followed by design, raw material, product design and 3.1. Marketi ng of Bamboo Products durability. Prices seem to have only moderate considerati on for the buyers (Shrestha, 2006). Most of the bamboo products such as mats, baskets, household accessories, and implements In the rural markets, traditi onal types of bamboo are manufactured by the local people and sold in products are sold which are bamboo basket (doko, the local markets. The marketi ng is strictly local/ dalo, tokari), mat (tati , chitra), stool, sieve (chalno) regional in nature. The nati onal market, although and winnow (nanglo). In additi on to traditi onal strong, does not receive products from the enti re bamboo products, modern products such as, region due to lack of transportati on and well glue-laminated handicraft s (temple, bangle-stand, established marketi ng. The size of annual bamboo tray, clock and others) are sold in the urban areas market in Nepal is esti mated at NRs. 1 billion like the Kathmandu valley, Birjung, Dhankuta, (approx. US $ 12 million) (Pokhrel, 2008). Biratnagar, Kakarbhitt a, Bhadrapur, Ghorahi/ Tulsipur, Dhangadi, Mahendranagar, Tansen and Selling of the products takes place usually in two other citi es. ways: one is self-marketi ng and another is sale to the shopkeepers or/and the wholesalers. Most of 3.2. Marketi ng of Ratt an Products 1 Birgunj, Malekhu, Dhading, Surkhet, Nepalgunj, In Nepal, ratt an is mainly used for manufacturing Pokhara, Biratnagar, Dharan and Dhankuta. furniture, weaving mats, sieves and baskets. Due Review of Developed Western Markets for Bamboo and Rattan Commodities of Nepal 3 to their strength and great fl exibility, ratt ans are cott age enterprises in Nepal. The bamboo-based ideal for binding purposes. More than 90% of enterprises are generally involved in trading rather the total consumpti on of ratt an in Nepal is being than manufacturing and deal with traditi onal brought in from North-Eastern states of India, household and kitchen items such as nanglo, because the large ratt an is not available in Nepal. chalno, dalo, mandro, thunse, dhaki, tokari and Most of the ratt an fi rms are located in the urban others. Similarly, fl ourishing trade of modern citi es, and have low market in the rural area. handicraft s, rhizome-products and musical Only high-class families can aff ord to buy ratt an instruments has created bamboo fi rms in almost products like sofa-set and chair. Markets of ratt an all major citi es of Nepal. furniture are mainly concentrated in the urban area. In the Kathmandu valley, ratt an shops are In the case of ratt an, fi rms are located in major mostly located in the Kopundole area. The main citi es like Kathmandu, Dharan, Narayanghat, products sold in the markets are baby-carriage, Birtamod, Pokhara, Biratnagar and Nepalgunj. It cloth-stand, sofa-set, rack and chair. The marketi ng is diffi cult to sort out registered fi rms of bamboo system of the ratt an product is by cash payment. and ratt an. 3.3. Firms and Enterprises 4. World Trade Scenario of Bamboo and Ratt an Eight established traders or intermediaries are exclusively involved in the trade of bamboo 4.1.