Scheme for marketing of minor forest produce

Government has introduced a new centrally sponsored scheme for marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through minimum support price and development of value chain for such products as a measure of social safety for the gatherers.
The scheme covers 12 MFP namely Tendu, Bamboo, Mahuwa Seed, Sal Leaf, Sal Seed, Lac, Chironjee, wild honey, myrobalan, Tamarind, gums and Karanj. Out of these, MFP honey, myrobalan and gum Karaya are among the major traded medicinal plants, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava told the Lok Sabha in a written reply today.
"The government has introduced a new centrally sponsored scheme of 'Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) and development of value chain for MFP as a measure of social safety for MFP gatherers," Vasava said.

He said the scheme seeks to establish a system to ensure fair monetary returns for their efforts in collection, primary processing, storage, packaging, transportation and others.
"It also seeks to get them a share of revenue from the sales proceeds with cost deducted. It also aims to address other medium and long term issues like sustainable collection, value addition, infrastructure development, knowledge bases expansion of MFP, marketing intelligence development, strengthening the bargaining power of Gram Sabha and Panchayat," the minister said.
He said that the scheme was launched in 2013-14 for its implementation in the 12th Plan period and beyond based on its valuation.

The minimum support price for 10 MFP has been already announced and necessary working capital has been also released to the concerned states by the ministry, he said.
On a question whether the states have urged the government for procurement of medicinal plants through the government's medicinal plant farms and herbal medicine corporation limited in the event of prices in open market going below MSP, the minister said that no such proposal has been received from the state governments.