Minor Forest Produce in India
The Union Cabinet on 2nd August 2013, approved a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for marketing of non-nationalized and non monopolized Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and development of a value chain for MFP through 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.
Also 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. An estimated 100 million forest dwellers depend on the Minor Forest Produce for food, shelter, medicines, cash income, etc.
The scheme would cover 12 MFPs, which are not nationalized in States having Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in accordance with 5th 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 Minor Forest Produce , also known as Non Timber Forest Produce, is a major source of livelihood and provides essential food, nutrition, medicinal needs and cash income to a large number of STs who live in and around forests.
However, MFP production is highly uneven spatially because of the poor accessibility of these areas and competitive market not having evolved. Along with that, MFP gatherers who are mostly poor are unable to bargain for fair prices.
This post contains the Indian current affairs of August 2013. These are short current affairs 2013 notes for quick review.
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