Cabinet clears scheme for marketing minor forest produce

Aiming to offer tribals in Left Wing Extremism areas better price for forest produce, the Union Cabinet has approved a centrally-sponsored scheme for marketing of minor forest produce and development of a value chain by offering them a Minimum Support Price (MSP).
"This will be a measure towards social safety for MFP gatherers who are primarily members of the Scheduled Tribes (STs), most of them in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) areas", Ministry of Tribal Affairs today said.
The scheme will have Rs. 967.28 crore as the central government's share and Rs. 249.50 crore as states share for the current plan period.

The scheme would cover 12 non-nationalised or non-monopolised MFPs, which are not nationalised in states having Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in accordance with Fifth Schedule of Constitution.
These are Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.
The 12 MFPs are tendu, bamboo, karanj, mahuwa seed, sal leaf, sal seed, lac, chironjee, wild honey, myrobalan, tamarind and gums (Gum Karaya).

"The scheme will ensure that the tribal population gets a remunerative price for the produce they collect from the forest and provide alternative employment avenues to them," the ministry said.
An estimated 100 million forest dwellers depend on MFPs for food, shelter, medicines and cash income.

The responsibility of purchasing MFP on MSP will be with agencies designated by stated while Tribal Affairs Ministry will be the nodal ministry for implementation and monitoring of the scheme.
The ministry would determine MSP with technical help of Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED).