Central
Government through the Ministry of Tribal Affairs ( MOTA) has
started a new ambitious scheme for the marketing of Minor Forest
Produce (MFP) through the minimum support price (MSP) route to
provide a social safety net to forest dwellers.
In Jharkhand
state JHAMFCOFED has been nominated as the State Procurement
Agency to carry out this scheme.
The scheme will
ensure that the tribal population gets a remunerative price for
the produce they collect from the forest. It would also provide
alternative employment avenues to them.
An estimated 100
million forest dwellers depend on the minor forest produce (MFP)
like tendu, bamboo, tamarind ,Mahua, Karanjetcfor food, shelter,
medicines and income.
"The scheme seeks
to establish a system to ensure fair monetary returns for forest
dweller's efforts in collection, primary processing, storage,
packaging and transportation while ensuring sustainability of
the resource base," The centrally-sponsored scheme also seeks to
get them a share of revenue from the sale proceeds with costs
deducted.
The central
governments contribution is 75% of the required fund and the
rest 25% will be provided by the Welfare Department of Jharkhand
Government as assistance.
The scheme would
cover 12 MFPs namely 1. Saal seed; 2. Tamarind; 3. Mahua seed;
4. Chironjee; 5. Karaya Gum; 6. Wild Honey; 7.karanj seed;
8.Saal Leaf; 9.bamboo; 10.Tendu leave; 11. Myrobalan and12 Lac.
The responsibility of purchasing all of the items except Tendu
leave, Bamboo and Lac is of JHAMFCOFED, Ranchi.
The scheme supports primary value addition as well as provides
for supply chain infrastructure like cold storages and
warehouses, rural haat/ bazar up gradation etc.
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