New Delhi, Dec 28: In order to ensure marketing of tribal products produced by tribal youth, Officer on Special Duty, Mission Youth, Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Abdul Khabir, today held detailed deliberations with the team of TRIFED at New Delhi.
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 DhanProgramme, VikasKendras 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 the dependence of the tribal communities of J&K on forests hence the 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 centers for procurement cum value addition to locally available MFPs. A typical Van DhanVikas Kendra shall consist of 10 tribal Van DhanVikas 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. ShahidIqbalChoudhary, 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.