Contents
- Procurement of Minor Forest Produce
- Bamboo resources in India
PROCUREMENT OF MINOR FOREST PRODUCE
Focus: GS-II Agriculture
Why in news?
- The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has advised all states to speed up procurement operations for Minor Forest Produceto support the Tribals especially in the backdrop if situation created by COVID-19 and also keeping in view that it is now peak season for gathering of MFP.
- The States have initiated the process of procurement of Minor Forest Produce and operations have begun in 10 States.
TRIFED’s Online Monitoring Dashboard
- An online monitoring dashboard has been created for reporting the activities undertaken at the State level for procurement of Minor Forest Produce.
- It’s called the Van Dhan Monit Dashboard, part of the “TRIFED E- Sampark Setu” being created for an exchange of information to and from every Panchayat and Van Dhan Kendra, either through Mail or Mobile.
- The scheme of Van Dhan Kendras is operational in 22 States with significant Tribal population in the country and has the potential to benefit almost 1.1 crore tribal families in the country.
- TRIFED proposes to link up with 10 lakh villages, district and state level partners, agencies and SHGs.
What is Minor Forest Produce?
- Minor forest produce includes non-timber items such as bamboo and other grasses, edible or useful roots, seeds, fruits, flowers and plants.
- A number of people from scheduled tribes and other forest dwelling communities depend on the collection and sale of such items for their livelihood.
What is TRIFED?
- The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) came into existence in 1987. It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
- TRIFED has its Head Office located in New Delhi and has a network of 13 Regional Offices located at various places in the country.
- The basic objective of the TRIFED is to provide good price to the products made or collected from the forest by the tribal peoples..
Functions of TRIFED
- It mainly undertakes two functions viz. Minor Forest Produce (MFP) development and Retail Marketing and Development.
- If the price of the products fluctuates then TRIFED arranges compensation for the tribes from the Ministry of Agriculture.
- It also assures the tribes for purchasing their products at a particular price, primary processing of products, storage of products and transportation etc.
- It provides information related to fair price markets for the ‘Minor Forest Produce (MFP). Like tribes of all over country sell their products in the trade fair organised at the Pragati Maidan, New Delhi every year.
- It helps in increasing the bargaining power of the tribes to fetch good price of the MFP.
- It provides adequate training to the tribes to make value addition to their products.
Objectives of TRIFED
- The ultimate objective of TRIFED is socio-economic development of tribal people in the country by way of marketing development of the tribal products such as metal craft, tribal textiles, pottery, tribal paintings and pottery on which the tribals depends heavily for major portion of their income.
- TRIFED acts as a facilitator and service provider for tribes to sell their product.
- The approach by TRIFED aims to empower tribal people with knowledge, tools and pool of information so that they can undertake their operations in a more systematic and scientific manner.
- It also involves capacity building of the tribal people through sensitization, formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and imparting training to them for undertaking a particular activity.
BAMBOO RESOURCES IN INDIA
Focus: GS-II Agriculture
Why in news?
In an addressing of the Bamboo Conclave, it was said that – Bamboo is vital to India’s Post- COVID economy and will provide an opportunity for India to emerge as an economic power with the support of its Bamboo resources.
Promotion of Bamboo in India
- Northeast consists 60% of India’s reserve of Bamboo and it is a great advantage that over the last six years highest priority has been accorded to the development of the North Eastern region.
- The Amendment in the 100-year old Indian Forest Act, has resulted in home grown bamboo being exempted from it in order to enhance livelihood opportunities through bamboo.
- During the Lockdown Period, the MHA allowed limited activities in different sectors and also allowed the functioning of bamboo related activities like planting, process etc.
- We have been importing a large bulk of ‘Agarbatti’ from countries like China and Vietnam, in the Post – COVID era, it is an opportunity for the North Eastern region to help India become world competitive and self-sufficient.
- In the near future, The Ministry of North East will try to work out a time bound plan for promotion of bamboo manufacturing and trade, and also work out feasibility of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in this sector.
- Bamboo can be processed into multiple products, including bio-diesel and green fuel, wooden lumbers and plywood, which can change the entire face of the economy and create employment opportunities in multiple sectors.
Bamboos in India
- Bamboos are integral not only to the culture of India but that of the entire Southeast Asia and its versatility has led to the coinage of such terms as “bamboo culture”, “green gold”, “poor man’s timber”.
- Bamboos belong to the grass family Poaceae (Gramineae). In India, there are 125 indigenous as well as exotic species of bamboos belonging to 23 genera.
- Bamboo forests occupy an area of 10.03 million ha, roughly 12.8% of the total forest area in the country.
- They are found in almost all the states of the country, from the tropical to the temperate regions and the alluvial plains to the high mountains, the only exception where they do not occur naturally is Kashmir.
- Bamboo is considered to be the most efficient natural resource as far as strength vis-a-vis cost.
- The strength of the culms, their straightness and lightness, combined with hardness, range in size, hollowness, long fibre and easy working qualities, make the bamboos suitable for a variety of purposes.
