NABARD Sponsored BAPCL’s OFPO members have undergone training in Bamboo Jewellery facilitated by ICFRE.

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, October 13, 2025

A six-day Capacity Building Training Programme focusing on Bamboo Jewellery and Utility Handicrafts for Livelihood Development has officially begun today at the premises of Nalchar Bamboo Craft Producer Company Limited (NBCPCL), located in Rajibnagar, Sepahijala district of Tripura. This programme, which runs from October 13 to 18, 2025, is designed to enhance the skills of local artisans and foster bamboo-based entrepreneurship to generate sustainable income.

This initiative is being executed under the auspices of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) via Bagma Agri Producer Company Limited (BAPCL), which has established NBCPCL as an Off-Farm Producer Organisation (OFPO) consisting of one hundred artisans from Nalchar. The training programme aims to refine craftsmanship and develop value-added bamboo products that are in line with current market trends.

The training has been organized by the ICFRE–Livelihood Extension Centre (LEC), Gandhigram, Agartala, a division of the ICFRE–Rain Forest Research Institute, Jorhat, Assam, under the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE), which operates under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India.

The inaugural session was graced by the presence of Miren Das, Representative of ICFRE; Gangotri Debnath, Pradhan of Rajibnagar Gram Panchayat; Kiran Bhowmik, Advisor of BAPCL; Biswajit Das, CMD of NBCPCL; and Subrata Shil, CEO of NBCPCL. During his address, Kiran Bhowmik emphasized the importance of such initiatives in bolstering Tripura’s rural economy. “The majority of farmers in Tripura are marginal, and it is essential to promote agriculture-related and industry-linked activities through OFPOs for the economic advancement of the state,” he stated.

Throughout the six-day training, participants will gain practical experience in designing and creating bamboo jewellery, decorative items, and utility handicrafts. Experts from the forestry and handicraft sectors will offer technical guidance to the participants.

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