Bhubaneswar: In a proud moment for Odisha’s bamboo sector, the PRAMAAN Certificate under the Indian Forest & Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS) was awarded today by Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav.
The certificate was awarded in the presence of Tanmay Kumar IAS, Secretary, MoEFCC, Sushil Kumar Awasthi IFS, Director General of Forests, and other senior officers.
The certificate was received by Gobinda Mahapatra, a bamboo farmer from Laxmiposi, Gobardhansul in Mayurbhanj district, and Karthick V IFS, Mission Director, Odisha Bamboo Development Agency (OBDA).
The certification has been granted under the scope of Trees Outside Forests Management and Chain of Custody (TOFM-CoC), covering a certified area of 14.03 hectares across four plots in Gobardhansul and Ranibhol. The certified bamboo species include Bambusa vulgaris, Bambusa nutans and Dendrocalamus strictus, which are used commercially for construction and furniture. The certification process was audited by a NABCB-accredited certification body.
This achievement marks an important step towards strengthening Odisha’s farm-grown bamboo value chain. The certification assures buyers that the bamboo is legally and sustainably sourced, thereby enhancing market credibility and opening up opportunities in premium domestic and export markets for bamboo farmers.
The initiative was funded, coordinated and supported by the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency through IIFM, Bhopal. It reflects OBDA’s continued efforts to promote sustainable bamboo cultivation, improve farmer livelihoods and position Odisha as an emerging leader in the bamboo sector.
