Bamboos Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Awareness among consumers- The boom in the market is because there is a new perception towards the methods that are used to implement sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. Consumers are starting to be more conscious about the products they use, focusing on environmentally friendly, recyclable as well as durable, all of which come with bamboo products.
  
  Bamboo is light in weight yet it is stronger than steel and it can be used in different ways. It is 35 times stronger than steel; tensile strength is at 28,000 PSI and for steel it is at 23,000 only. This new trend of consumers is placing pressure on manufacturers to make a switch to more natural products with the help of bamboos.
• Increased concerns about health - Bamboo is one of those plants that are members of the grass family, and there are 1,640 known species of bamboo worldwide; however, not all of them yield edible shoots. Among 800 species of biota identified in China, 153 are known to be edible while only 56 of those species can be considered to be of ‘high’ quality.
  
  The targeted consumers have taken an increased concern towards health and well-being and hence are willing to pay for products that will benefit their health and wellbeing as will be demonstrated by the bamboo. Bamboo contains necessary vitamins and minerals such as Niacin, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, and the list goes including potassium, manganese, magnesium, etc.
  
  Another constituent found in the bamboo extract is natural antioxidant phenols that decline inflammation and oxidation processes in the body. Furthermore, flexible and smooth skin and healthy hair are also associated with the use of bamboo due to its ability to increase the level of collagen. This is a positive development and its familiarity can be attributed to research and sensationalized media coverage, which is making consumers across different industries embrace bamboo-based products for use in foods, cosmetics, and even products associated with health care and pharmaceuticals.
• Initiatives taken by the government - Steps taken by the government have helped in popularizing bamboo products, building up a sustainable economy for the rural people, and providing a favorable climate for the development of the sector. These measures entail offering bonuses and other privileges, which promote the production of bamboo by farmers thus increasing its availability in the market.
  
  Controlling bamboo after they have been cut ensures the material is used properly in making quality bamboo products to avoid wastage. Governments viz. Burma, India, and China with 19,800,000 ha of bamboo reserves in all have started paying attention to the economic facets of bamboo productivity.

Challenges

• Supply chain issues – Supply chain problem results in poor quality of raw bamboo and is a major challenge to entrepreneurs and industries, as the bamboo supply is irregular and scarce. Bamboo production ending is done in the rural areas while demand for such products occurs in the urban areas and this leads to supply glitches.
• Branding and marketing complications - Some of the challenges associated with bamboo include low market share, as this is because most bamboo products do not have a proper market and brand market. In addition, a lack of knowledge about bamboo products’ advantages and possibilities can be the major problematic area for consumers.