Nagaland is looking to expand bamboo from a traditional resource into a major driver of entrepreneurship, employment, innovation and sustainable rural development, with the State identifying potential bamboo economic zones in Dimapur, Niuland, Chümoukedima and Peren.
The Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency (NBDA) observed World Bamboo Day 2026 on the theme “Bamboo Beyond Borders” at the Nagaland Bamboo Resource Centre (NBRC), Sovima, Chümoukedima, on Friday. The programme featured the hoisting of the World Bamboo Day flag and inauguration of the ‘Green Gold Barn’, a new facility showcasing bamboo applications through traditional knowledge, technology and innovation.
NBDA Chairman and NPF Senior Vice-President, Nuzota Swuro, who attended as Guest of Honour, said bamboo had deep roots in Nagaland’s history, culture and rural economy and was increasingly emerging as an avenue for enterprise, employment and sustainable development.
Reflecting on the NBDA’s journey since its establishment in 2005, Swuro said its activities had expanded from bamboo plantation to skill development, processing, value addition, enterprise creation, technology intervention and market development. These included Common Facility Centres, bamboo processing units, rural bamboo haats and bamboo bazaars, besides market promotion under the ‘Naturally Nagaland’ brand.
He said the Nagaland Bamboo Resource Centre had emerged as a platform for training, demonstrations, exhibitions, technology dissemination and promotion of bamboo-based activities. The two Common Facility Centres established by the Agency had generated employment for more than 500 people, he said, while stressing the need to strengthen market linkages to take Nagaland’s bamboo products to national and international markets.
Swuro called for greater participation of youth in the bamboo sector, saying opportunities extended beyond farming and traditional craftsmanship to design, engineering, architecture, food processing, digital marketing and technology.
He also stressed the need for sustainable resource management, scientific harvesting, value addition, innovation and organised value chains to make bamboo a stronger source of livelihood for rural communities. He said the State had identified the potential for creating bamboo economic zones in Dimapur, Niuland, Chümoukedima and Peren, with concentrated plantations and resource development linked to future industrial units.
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Delivering the keynote address, Mission Director, NBDA, Tiameren Chang, NCS, said World Bamboo Day provided an opportunity to recognise bamboo’s potential in sustainable development, environmental protection, livelihood generation and economic transformation.
Chang highlighted the NBDA’s achievements, including block plantation covering 1,506 hectares, training of more than 200 entrepreneurs and artisans, establishment of two Common Facility Centres, primary processing units, 30 rural haats, 30 bamboo bazaars and 15 demonstration plots across the State.
He also highlighted the Agency’s participation in trade fairs and exhibitions and the annual Hornbill Bamboo Carnival, which has provided artisans and entrepreneurs a platform to showcase and promote bamboo products.
Referring to the newly inaugurated Green Gold Barn, Chang said the facility demonstrated how traditional bamboo knowledge could be combined with technology and innovation for more efficient utilisation of the resource. He said the facility would cater to the public and would be opened for public use in the near future.
He stressed the need to explore indigenous bamboo species and strengthen plantation management, scientific harvesting, modern processing, product development, branding and market access so that benefits reached farmers, rural communities, artisans, youth and entrepreneurs.
Dr Jayanta Choudhury, Professor and Head, Department of Rural Development and Planning, Nagaland University, Medziphema Campus, spoke on bamboo cultivation, nursery development and utilisation, including the potential of bamboo-based biochar in Nagaland. He proposed introducing diploma and vocational courses related to bamboo at the university to strengthen skills and knowledge in the sector.
Choudhury also highlighted bamboo’s potential from domestic use to industrial and commercial applications and its contribution towards addressing climate change. He called for greater collaboration among bamboo agencies across the Northeast to strengthen collective efforts and help the region compete in wider markets.
Certificates were also distributed to trainees who successfully completed vocational skill development courses at the centre.
The programme was chaired by Lipoksungkum Imsong, Team Member, NBDA, while Mhonlumi Patton, Team Member, NBDA, delivered the vote of thanks.
