The Hindu Business Line : Meet on uniform policy for minor forest produce

A CONVENTION will be organised at Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, in September to discuss the procurement and marketing of minor forest produce in different States and the possibility of evolving a national policy.

This was stated here at a joint press conference on Friday by Mr A. Vidya Sagar, Managing Director of the Girijan Co-operative Corporation (GCC), and Mr A.K Singh, Managing Director of Chattisgarh Minor Forest Produce Corporation.

Mr Vidya Sagar said there is no uniform procurement policy, or pricing system, with regard to minor forest produce and different States are following different policies to the advantage of middlemen. "We are of the opinion that a uniform policy will be of great help to the 16-crore Girijans in the country. Officials and NGOs from six States - Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra - will participate in the Raipur convention,'' he said.

The Trifed should act as a coordinating agency at the national level for the minor forest produce and there should also be special emphasis and focus on the 600 varieties of medicinal plants in the country.

Mr Singh said the Chhattisgarh Minor Forest Produce Corporation is at present procuring only four products from Girijans in the State. "We want to increase the products in future. We are impressed with the work of GCC in Andhra Pradesh, especially with regard to supply of essentials to Girijans and arranging credit facilities for them. We want to replicate it in our State,'' he said.

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Meet on uniform policy for minor forest produce