Tripura to appoint consultants to expand bamboo product sales

Seeking to provide a better market for bamboo handicraft products, the Tripura Bamboo Mission has signed a memorandum with the National Centre for Design and Product Development during a program at the Bamboo and Cane Development Institute at Lichu Bagan in Agartala.

The signing of the MoU took place in the sideline of the distribution of free toolkit certificate among bamboo artisans aiming at improving the quality and quantity of products and towards increased income by proving to market all bamboo made products from the state in different parts of the country and abroad.

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb participated in the distribution of free toolkit certificate among bamboo artisans.

He also inspected the experimental bamboo cultivation plot, various tools, and machinery facilities and the ongoing training besides getting acquainted with new bamboo products at the BCDI.

After signing the MoU, Deb said, "The state government has decided to undertake massive bamboo cultivation covering 14000 hectors by 2022 and implementation has also started.

Despite highly trained skilled artisans in the state who produce international quality bamboo products, they are unable to make profits because of the lack of proper marketing. The government is now emphasizing on that aspect."

"We have signed an MoU and are now going to appoint consultants for marketing, consultants will legally get them a percentage of the profit share. Earlier, the state government never went appointed marketing consultant but now we shall go for that through tender or taking cabinet decision in order to increase the sale of bamboo products of the state," the chief minister added.

Meanwhile, the artisans who got the free toolkit certificates said they had been working with the traditional tools till now and with the mechanical tools, they shall be able to not only improve the quality but also quantity of their products. They also said that a better market facility would help them to increase their earning and move towards a brighter future in this sector.