downtoearth-subscribe

Super Market

  • 27/02/2003

Super Market India has 16,000 recorded plant species. About 3,000 of these yield minor forest produce (MFP).

Nearly 500 million people living in and around forests in India depend on MFP for sustenance and as a supplement to their income

Studies in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar indicate that over 80 per cent of forest dwellers depend entirely on MFP; 17 per cent of landless people depend on the daily wage labour of collecting MFP; and 39 per cent of people are involved in MFP collection as a subsidiary occupation

MFP-based small-scale enterprises provide up to 50 per cent of income for 20-30 per cent of the rural labour force in India

55 per cent of employment in the forestry sector is attributed to the MFP sub-sector

Over 50 per cent of the revenues earned by the forest department comes from MFP. Growth of revenues from MFP have generally been 40 per cent higher than timber

The share of total export earnings from MFP ranges from 56.5 per cent to 75 per cent of the total exports of forest produce including timber

Herbal Underground

The MFP market is a mystery

Forest produce ‘value addition’

Related Content