The trade of bamboo (Graminae) and its secondary products in a regional market of southern Bangladesh: status and socio-economic significance

Figures & data

Figure 1. The study site in southern Bangladesh (Source: Bangladesh Forest Department).

Table 1. Profile of the interviewed entrepreneurs and workers

		Entrepreneurs/ traders (n = 30)		Artisans/ laborers (n = 198)
Variable	Class	No.	%	No.	%
Age	<10 years	−	−	5	2.5
	10–20 years	−	−	8	4.0
	21–30 years	2	6.7	72	36.4
	31–40 years	8	26.7	98	49.5
	41–50 years	16	53.3	12	6.0
	51–60 years	3	10.0	3	1.5
	60> years	1	3.3	−	−
Sex	Male	30	100.0	167	84.4
	Female	−	−	31	15.6
Education	Illiterate	1	3.3	94	47.5
	Primary	13	43.3	76	38.4
	Junior secondary	10	33.3	26	13.1
	Secondary or above	6	20.0	2	1.0
Number of years in the profession	1–5 years	3	10.0	116	58.6
	6–10 years	8	26.7	63	31.8
	10> years	19	63.3	19	9.6

Figure 2. Entrepreneurs’ engagement in different occupations as primary earning source.

Figure 3. Utilization of bamboo during house construction (Photo credit: Sharif A. Mukul).

Figure 4. Making bamboo fences in temporary shade (Photo credit: Sharif A. Mukul).

Figure 5. Bamboo baskets and other bamboo-based products (Photo credit: Sharif A. Mukul).

Table 2. Bamboo species used in the local market

Botanical name	Local name(s)	Category (based on source)
Bambusa balcooa Roxb.	Borak, Barua, Bhaluka bans	Village/forest bamboo
Bambusa tulda Roxb.	Mitinga, Mita, Nitai bans	Forest/village bamboo
Bambusa vulgaris Schrd. ex. Wendl	Baijja bans	Village bamboo
Melocanna baccifera (Roxb.) Kurz	Muli, Nali bans	Forest bamboo

Table 3. Bamboo-based articles (secondary products) and prices on the local market

			Selling price^1 ($)
Trade name	English name and use	Production cost ($), approx time (hr.)	Factory	Intermediaries	Wholesaler	Retailer
Bera (36 × 120 inch)	Fence, in rural/temporary housing	0.65, 4	0.86	1.08	1.15	1.30−1.44
Bera, (72 × 96 inch)	Fence, in rural/temporary housing	0.50, 3.5	0.72	0.79	0.94	1.08−1.15
Bookshelf, (36 × 24 inch)	Bookshelf, domestic use	1.00, 5	1.37	1.58	1.80	2.02−2.16
Chaluni	Screener, domestic utensils	0.43, 2.5	0.65	0.72	Not involved^2	0.86−1.08
Chatai, (48 × 60 inch)	Mat, for construction	0.36, 2	0.50	0.65	0.72	0.79
Chatai, (36 × 48 inch)	Mat, for construction	0.29, 1.5	0.43	0.58	0.65	0.72
Jhuri	Basket, domestic utensils	0.36, 3	0.58	0.72	Not involved	0.86−0.94
Rickshaw hood	Rickshaw hood, parts of rickshaw	2.16, 6	3.60	4.32	Not involved	5.76
Tukri	Basket, in labor works	0.86, 4	1.15	1.37	Not involved	1.73
^1Source: Market survey during February 2008.
Note: ^2Absence of wholesaler in the value chain.

Figure 6. Monthly incomes (in $) from bamboo and secondary products between large, medium, and small enterprises.

Table 4. Financial analysis of the study enterprises. All values are rounded

	Enterprises [mean (±SD)]
Category	Large-sized	Medium-sized	Small-sized
Fixed costs
Permanent cost^1	8611(11,442)	315(65)	290(71)
Rent(of shops)	3900(3,670)	7333(2726)	5100(1509)
Operating costs
Wages of workers(self,^2 permanent, and temporary)	36,481(5280)	30,402(4499)	19,381(3968)
Purchase of raw products	44,856(3745)	37,340(5653)	27,636(2180)
Transportation costs(inputs and outputs)	7581(1102)	6390(1165)	4650(472)
Bills and taxes(of income)	457(72)	315(96)	492(82)
Others	294(83)	236(56)	309(79)
Income
Primary products(bamboo)	114,250(6665)	76,388(28,255)	63,375(5344)
Secondary products(bamboo-based crafts)	30,937(5685)	35,942(23,641)	13,750(6291)
Net income/profit ^3	43,006.0(8282)	29,997(4616)	19,265(1810)
Notes: ^1An allowance towards the permanent structures (where applicable), depreciation cost, and instruments. We assumed a rotation age of 20 years for structures and 5 years for instruments.
^2An amount towards operators'/entrepreneurs' wages calculated at the standard wage rate.
^3Net profits are estimated as total income less total expenditure [i.e., income − (fixed costs + operating costs)].

Table 5. Contribution of bamboo-based income to entrepreneurs' total annual income

	Entrepreneurs (N = 30)
Contribution to total income (%)	Number	Percentage
0–20	1	3
21–40	6	20
41–60	9	30
61–80	11	37
81–100	3	10

Figure 7. A village bamboo grove (Photo credit: Sharif A. Mukul).

Figure 8. Bamboo rafting in the area (Photo credit: Sharif A. Mukul).

Figure 9. Market chain of bamboo and related products.