Bhubaneswar: The state government has procured minor forest produce from tribals and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) worth Rs 28 crore this season, TDCCOL, the nodal procurement agency of the government said Thursday.
The Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation (TDCCOL) is implementing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme of the Union government for procurement of minor forest produce (MFP) from the forest dwellers.
The government agency is procuring primarily 13 predominantly tribal districts such as Sal Seed, Seeded Tamarind, Char Seed, Hill Brooms from them at the MSP decided by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
The department claims that it has procured MFP worth, Rs 28.10 crore and created a record. TDCCOL claims that it was the highest procurement in the last six years.
“This year TDCCOL has procured so far 13300 MT of MFPs worth Rs 28.10 crore which far exceeds the total value of procurement in last six years taken together. Total value of MFPs which was procured in last six years was only Rs 4.09 crore,” a statement from the department said.
The department claimed that it procured MFPs from 370 procurement centres benefiting more than 32,000 primary tribal collectors of forest produce.
PNN
