Raipur, 28 June 2021. It was promised by the present government of Chhattisgarh to the residents of the state that immediately after the formation of the government, the collection rate of tendu patta and other minor forest produce would be increased and the number of forest produce to be purchased at minimum support price was also increased from 7 to 50. Will go Not only fulfilling its promises, but going beyond this, in the first year itself, 52 minor forest produce species have been started to be purchased at the minimum support price.
In Chhattisgarh, taking an important decision of the state government in the interest of forest dwellers, the minimum support price for minor forest produce was also increased. In the year 2018, the collection rate of tendu patta was Rs 2500 per standard bag, it was increased to Rs 4000 per standard bag. Earlier in the year 2019 itself, 13 lakh tendu patta collectors got an additional income of Rs 225 crore. In other minor forest produce, where only 7 forest produce was collected at minimum support price in the year 2018, arrangements were made to purchase 52 minor forest produce at the minimum support price, not only the number of forest produce was increased, but also the village and At the Haatbazar level, 3500 women self-help groups were formed and encouraged to purchase more and more forest produce by training and encouraging them for their training. The minimum support price has also been increased in comparison to the year 2018, the direct result of which has been that about 6 lakh minor forest produce collectors do not sell minor forest produce at throwaway prices to the middlemen, and the committees formed at the village and Haat Bazar level have to get the minimum support price. Forest produce was sold on support price.
Similarly, in the year 2018, where only 1600 crores of forest produce was purchased, it was increased to Rs 2100 crores, which is an increase of 32 percent per annum as compared to the year 2018. In this way, as a result of increase in the number of minor forest produce and minimum support price in the state, more than 13 lakh poor and tribal minor forest produce collectors are getting additional income amounting to Rs 501 crore 70 lakh per year. Tendu leaves, Mahua flowers, Tamarind (including seeds), Mahua seeds, Chiroji kernels, Rangini lac, Kusumi lac, flower bush, Giloy, Charota seed, Dhavai flower, bibidding, honey, Contains Amla (seedless), Nagarmotha, Bel Gud and Gum Karaya.
The estimated production of minor forest produce in the state of Chhattisgarh is more than Rs 1200 crore per year, but most of the minor forest produce was purchased by traders and sent to other states for processing. The forest produce like tamarind, lac etc. was neither primary processed nor processed products were manufactured in such large quantities. As a result of the efforts of the Chhattisgarh government, only while primary processing of tamarind, its deseeding work was done at the regional level in the state itself, in which 21 thousand 582 beneficiaries got an additional income of Rs. 2 crore 69 lakh. Apart from this, the collectors are getting additional income of one crore 91 lakh rupees from the primary processing of other minor forest produce. Value addition of forest produce has also taken place as a result of primary processing, due to which the sale of minor forest produce also got fair price for the forest produce.
Along with the primary processing of minor forest produce, herbal products are also being manufactured by 50 processing centers, which include 1324 women self-help groups. Under these groups, 17 thousand 424 women beneficiaries are doing the work of processing minor forest produce and herbal products of Triphala, Mahua Laddu, Chyawanprash, Chironji, Sanitizer, Bhrigraj oil, 3 Honey, Cashew etc. are being prepared. In the year 2020-21, 111 types of herbal products were prepared, whose selling price is Rs 7 crore 50 lakh. These groups are being provided training for entrepreneurship and processing through reputed technical institutes like IIT Kanpur, so that these self-help groups can become self-dependent for processing work, herbal preparations prepared by these processing centers Marketing of the products is being done by Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce Association under the brand name of Chhattisgarh Herbals. In the year 2020-21, a target has been set to sell herbal products worth more than Rs 10 crore.
In view of the demand of herbal products, online sale of these products has been started on platform e-commerce like Amazon. Apart from the government Sanjeevani store, the products of Chhattisgarh Herbals are also being made available in other private selling centers in the state through distributors. The forest produce collectors, women self-help groups and other individuals are getting direct benefits from the processing of minor forest produce. As a result of these efforts, not only the income of the collectors has increased, but along with the increase in the capacity of women self-help groups, they have moved towards becoming self-reliant.
Apart from these processing centers in Chhattisgarh, in view of the extensive production of minor forest produce, it has been decided to establish large processing centers within the state. In this regard, a plan has been prepared to establish jackfruit and honey processing centers at the regional level under the Trifood Scheme. At the same time, a central processing unit is being set up in Durg district at the central level, under which an Ayurvedic manufacturing unit will be set up at a cost of Rs.78.11 crore. in which in Chhattisgarh
