Bhubaneswar: A bamboo farmer from Mayurbhanj has received the PRAMAAN Certificate under the Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS), marking a step towards formalising and strengthening Odisha’s farm-grown bamboo value chain.
The certificate was presented by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav in the presence of MoEFCC Secretary Tanmay Kumar, Director General of Forests Sushil Kumar Awasthi and senior officials.
Gobinda Mahapatra, a bamboo farmer from Laxmiposi, Gobardhansul in Mayurbhanj, received the certificate along with Karthick V, Mission Director of the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA).
The certification covers 14.03 hectares spread across four plots in Gobardhansul and Ranibhol under the Trees Outside Forests Management and Chain of Custody (TOFM-CoC) scope. The certified plantations comprise three commercially important bamboo species — Bambusa vulgaris, Bambusa nutans and Dendrocalamus strictus — which are used for construction and furniture.
The certification process was audited by a certification body accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB).
The certification provides formal assurance to buyers that the bamboo has been legally and sustainably sourced. This could help improve the market credibility of farm-grown bamboo and create opportunities for farmers to access premium domestic and export markets.
The initiative was funded, coordinated and supported by OBDA through the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal.
According to OBDA, the initiative is part of its efforts to promote sustainable bamboo cultivation, improve income opportunities for farmers and strengthen Odisha’s position in the bamboo sector.
The PRAMAAN certification also brings farm-grown bamboo under a recognised certification framework, potentially helping create greater traceability from cultivation to end-use products and strengthening the bamboo value chain in the State.
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