Abstract

Rural bamboo is sold directly to consumers or used by the producers (farmers) themselves. But most is marketed through private bamboo depots. The number of depots buying bamboo from homegardens mushroomed between the late 1950s and 1985. The present study identifies the strength and vitality of bamboo depots in Kerala, and suggests that marketing difficulties, a major concern of any new promotion initiative, need not be a worry. The central role depots play today in bamboo marketing mean that they will continue to be an important element in future bamboo activities