Mizoram to export first bamboo consignment to Bangladesh next week

Aizawl, Dec 13 (UNI) Mizoram is all set to export the first bamboo consignment to Bangladesh by next week following an agreement with Nitol Paper&Pulp Mill of Dhaka.

Joint Director of state industry department Mizoram G Malsawmdawngliana said they would supply about one lakh metric tonnes of bamboo to the paper mill every year and proforma of invoice has already been sent to the company.

''The first consignment of about 10,000 metric tonnes of bamboo would be despatched expectedly in the first week of December as soon as we receive the letter of credit from the company,'' he said.

The paper mill would purchase raw bamboo at the rate of US $ 32 per metric tonne in the first year and from the next year the export would be at least 400 metric tonne on a daily basis, he stated.

The agreement is the fulfilment of an MoU between the company and the Mizoram government's Mizoram Intodelh (self-sufficiency) Project (MIP) marketing board signed last year.

MIP has estimated that Mizoram has at least 25 million metric tonne of bamboo which can be harvested.

The state government has agreed to transport the bamboo up to Sutarkandi near Karimganj town in Asom and the bamboo consignments would become the responsibility of the Bangladeshi company.

UNI SNR JYN RD 1031