“Challenges in Marketing of different commodities particularly the minor forest produces in the tribal Sub Plan areas in Odisha - An empirical study in Rayagada district of Odisha
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Date
2014
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Publisher
Central Library, OUAT
Abstract
Rural poverty in India is generally considered to be linked with the lack of access to
cultivable land, lack of irrigated land, poor infrastructure, no knowledge know-how or with its low
productivity. Changes in the collection of gathered items from common property resources such as
forests go largely unnoticed, and are not even presented in the national accounts. However, about 100
million people living in and around forests in India derive their livelihood support from the collection
and marketing of non-timber forest products (NTFPs). Thus the issue of rights and access to, and
income from, NTFPs is basic to sustenance and livelihood for the forest dwellers. Market plays
significant role to ripe the effect of different schemes and to augment the benefit to the primary
dwellers on a sustainable manner.
Studies in India have revealed that, NTFPs provide substantial inputs to the livelihoods of
forest dependent population, many of whom have limited non agricultural income opportunities.
About 70 % of the NTFP collection in India takes place in the tribal belt of the country (Mitchell et
al., 2003). It would be seen from the literature that the NTFP based small scale enterprises provide up
to 50 % of income for 20 to 30 % of the rural labour force. Whereas 55 % of employment in forestry
sector is attributed to the sector alone. Therefore collection of NTFPs was a major source of income
and employment for forest dwellers. For instance, kendu leaf collection was observed to provide
about 90 days of employment to about 7.5 million people every year in India.
Marketing of Non- Timber Forest Products play a vital role in livelihood of people in and
around the forests in Odisha. Due to lack of marketing facilities, it is seen that the dependency from
forest is decreasing fast and leading to migration, malnutrition, poverty etc. That apart, the bonding of
people with forest and natural vegetation is also declining at a faster rate and people do not take
interest for the safe guard of the forest, which impacts the environment and climate significantly.
The study revealed that forest coverage is gradually depleting. Forest as source of livelihoods
is also decreasing day by day not due to non-availability of minor forest produces but largely due to
lack of organised market sectors. Tribal, the major stakeholders of the forest are extensively cheated
by different groups associated in marketing. Issues and challenges in marketing of NTFP and other
agricultural items in remote areas of Odisha are studied and reported in the study.
The study aims at to find the cause and effect of market with the livelihoods system of the
people live in rural and tribal pockets. It covers all sector i.e Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal
Husbandry with focus on Minor Forest Produces. The main objective of the study to analyse the
factors that lead to reduce the marketability of the products and to find the challenges, which can be
addressed to ensure the marketability of produces increased to ensure sustainable livelihoods and in
keeping the ecology conducive to mankind.