Pertinently, Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has announced a scheme for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP). Under the PM Van Dhan Programme, Vikas Kendras shall be established in the tribal areas to ensure livelihood generation, income enhancement and empowerment of tribal people. The government of India has identified a total of 87 Minor Forest Produce items and their MSP rates have also been notified by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Since there is dependence of the tribal communities of J&K on forests hence establishment of such Kendras shall go a long way in addressing various issues related to the economy of the tribals. These Kendras shall act as common facility centres for procurement cum value addition to locally available MFPs. A typical Van Dhan Vikas Kendra shall consist of 10 tribal Van Dhan Vikas Self Help Groups, each comprising up to 30 MFP gatherers consisting of about 300 beneficiaries per Kendra.
It is pertinent to mention here that Secretary Tribal Affairs Department, J&K, Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, who is also holding the charge of Director Tribal Research Institute J&K, has already initiated the process of empanelling tribal artisans so that their products get proper marketing value through “Tribes India” initiative of TRIFED.
It was also decided that Tribal Artisan Mela shall be organized shortly in J&K where on-spot registration of tribal artisans shall be done in a hassle free manner. The products of these tribal artisans shall be evaluated by regional evaluation committee of the TRIFED. Once regional branch of TRIFED approves the samples then supply order shall be placed to the concerned tribal artisan and the product shall be sold through various Tribes India outlets and e-commerce platform of TRIFED.
Those present during the deliberations included Amit Bhatnagar, General Manager TRIFED (MFP), Sandeep Pahalwan, DGM TRIFED, J S Shekhawat, GM TRIFED (Marketing) and Om Parkash, Deputy Manager TRIFED.
