About the importance of NTFP (Non-Timber Forest Produce)

The forests of Orissa are rich in both timber and non-timber forest produces (NTFP). Timber and firewood conceived as major forest produces in the State. Sal is the important timber and constitutes about have been 60 per cent of the timber production of the State. Teak is another valuable timber available mostly in the western part of Orissa. Important among other timber species are Piasal, Asan, Bandhan, Haldu, Kurum, Gambhar, Sisoo, Jammu, Khair, Dharua, Kusum, Champa etc.

Minor Forest Produce (MFP)/Non-Timber Forest Produces (NTFP)/Non Wood Forest Produces (NWFP) are different names people attach to forest produces other than timber. NTFP include all the products obtainable from forest other than timber. NTFP have been classified into the following categories.

1. Fibres and flosses,
2. Grasses, cane and fodder,
3. Essential oils,
4. Tannins and dyes,
5. Gums and resins,
6. Drugs and medicines,
7. Edible products,
8. Oil seeds,
9. Leaves, and
10. Animal, mineral and miscellaneous products.

Important NTFP of the State are Bamboo, Kendu Leaf, Sal seed, Mahua flower and seed, Myrabolans, Broom grass, Tamarind, Sal leaf, Siali leaf and fibre, Sal resin, Tassar cocoons, Lac, Honey, Wax, Genduli gum, Patal garuda, Nux vomica, Chironjee, Fodder grass, Thatching grass, Arrowroot etc. Important products like Bamboo, Kendu leaves and Sal seeds have been nationalised and harvested by the departmental agencies such as Orissa Forest Development Corporation and Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation of Orissa Ltd. Ownership and management of 68 NTFP items have been transferred to Gram Panchayats in 2000. Prior to that most of the NTFP were being management and traded under strict state control. Both short term and long term leases were being given to private traders to trade in different NTFP.

Non-Timber Forest Produces (NTFP) used to contribute substantially to the state's economy in many forms. For the majority of the forest dwellers and rural population NTFP meet their subsistence needs. NTFP provide food security, ingredients for health care, fodder, construction materials and above all cash income during the slack agricultural seasons. The collection of NTFP provides more than 50 per cent of the person-days employment to the forest dwelling communities. In 1955-56, while the govt. earned revenue of Rs.73 lakh from timber and firewood, the revenue from KL, other MFPs and bamboo was Rs.74 lakh. In 1975-76, the revenue from timber and firewood was Rs.5.4 crore and the same from minor forest produce including bamboo and KL was Rs.5.5 crore. In 1995-96, revenue from timber and firewood was Rs.7.95 crore whereas the income from KL, bamboo and other MFPs was about Rs.60 crore. The income from NTFP including Kendu Leaf for the State has always been between 75 to 90 per cent of the total forest revenue. Now the revenue from NTFP has gone down for various reasons.

Importance of this website

For a long time, management and trade of NTFP was an exclusive domain of the government especially the forest department. While it comes to the trade of NTFP, although it was part of the government's domain significant volume of the trade was in the hands of private trading houses and end users/corporate houses. Now the management of many important NTFP has been liberalised and in Orissa a set of 68 NTFP items have been transferred to Gram Panchayats (local self-governing bodies at council of village level) for ownership, control and management.

Despite decentralisation of the management and trade of NTFP, the primary collectors and their organisations continue to suffer in collection and sale of different NTFP. They are yet to be provided fair price for their labour. Still the private trading houses control the trade. The common notion is that the trade in NTFP is highly complex, risky, cumbersome etc and none other than the private traders can manage and sustain the trade. The main purpose of this website is to facilitate demystification of this notion and make the trade in NTFP fair and competitive.

This website would try to present all possible information on NTFP management and trade mostly relating to Orissa and its neighbouring states, where the NTFP from Orissa go for higher level value addition and marketing. The website would not only emphasise on the market related information but also on scientific management of different NTFP such harvesting, processing, storage, commercial propagation etc.

It would provide a platform for the primary collectors' associations such as forest protection committees and their networks at the district and sub-district level, SHGs etc, NGOs, traders, PRIs, researchers etc to share their information, experience and expectations in the management and trade of NTFP.

We appeal all the stakeholders to actively participate in information sharing in order to make the NTFP trade fair and beneficial for the poor forest dependent population.