New Delhi: Twenty-two bamboo clusters in nine states, including Odisha, were inaugurated by Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday.
The other states identified for the bamboo clusters are Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Karnataka.
A logo for the National Bamboo Mission was also released during the online launching ceremony.
Tomar said that the goal of the Government is to protect local industries and help it thrive, so that local artisans get a source of livelihood.
The country is gearing up to increase export of bamboo products, the minister added.
The National Bamboo Mission was restructured in 2018-19 for holistic development of the complete value chain of the sector. The main goal is to connect farmers to markets so that they get a ready market for the bamboo they grow.
The bamboo ecosystem has been energized, with 10 most important species required by the industry being identified. Quality planting material will be made available to farmers for plantation and product development like furniture, agarbatti, venetian blinds, chopsticks, toothbrush, lifestyle products, jewellery, bottles, yoga mat, charcoal, etc.
The National Bamboo Mission will also help upgrading skills of traditional bamboo craftsmen as per requirement of contemporary markets by tying up with enterprises and premier institutes.
