The ongoing procurement of Minor Forest Produces (MFP) under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for MFP Scheme in 16 states has hit a record-breaking high with the procurement touching Rs 79.42 crores. With this, the total procurement for the year (both Government and private trade) crossed more than Rs 2000 crores, proving to be a much needed panacea in these distressing times of the Covid-19 pandemic which has disrupted lives and livelihoods of tribals. On May 26, 2020, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs also recommended the addition of 23 new items under the MSP for MFP list. These items include agricultural and horticultural produce collected by tribal gatherers.
With the injection of over Rs 2000 crores in the tribal economy, the MSP for MFP Scheme can lead in the transformation of the tribal ecosystem and empowering the tribal people. In the last two months since April 2020, with the Government push and the Van Dhan scheme proving to be a catalyst and active participation from the States, the Guidelines for the Scheme for 'Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) Through Minimum Support Price (MSP) & Development of Value Chain for MFP',initiated to provide MSP to gatherers of forest produces and introducing value addition and marketing through tribal groups and clustershas taken firm roots across the country and found widespread acceptance.
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