Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s bamboo sector has earned national recognition, with a bamboo farmer from Mayurbhanj district receiving the PRAMAAN Certificate under the Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS). The certification, awarded under the Trees Outside Forests Management and Chain of Custody (TOFM-CoC) scope, covers 14.03 hectares across four plots in Gobardhansul and Ranibhol of Mayurbhanj district.
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav presented the certificate in the presence of MoEFCC Secretary Tanmay Kumar, Director General of Forests Sushil Kumar Awasthi and other senior officials. Gobinda Mahapatra, a bamboo farmer from Laxmiposi under Gobardhansul, and Karthick V, Mission Director of the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA), received the certificate on behalf of the initiative.
The certified bamboo species include Bambusa vulgaris, Bambusantus and Dendrocalamus strictus, which have significant commercial applications, particularly in construction and furniture manufacturing. The certification process was audited by a certification body accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB). The achievement is expected to strengthen Odisha’s farm-grown bamboo value chain by providing greater assurance to buyers that the bamboo is sourced legally and sustainably. It will also enhance the market credibility of Odisha-grown bamboo and create opportunities for farmers to access premium domestic and export markets.
The initiative was funded, coordinated and supported by the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency through the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal. The certification reflects OB DA’s efforts to promote sustainable bamboo cultivation, improve the livelihoods of bamboo farmers and strengthen Odisha’s position in the country’s growing bamboo sector.
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