NEW DELHI: In a bid to help tribals during the COVID-19 crisis and save them from distress sale to middlemen, the Centre on Friday announced hefty increase of minimum support price (MSP) of minor forest produce (MFP) including that of newly added products like bamboo brooms, turmeric and cardamom which will help farmers of Meghalaya.
The increase across various items of minor forest produce ranges from 16 per cent to 66 per cent.
The increase is expected to provide an immediate and much needed momentum to procurement of minor forest produce in at least 20 states including the whole of Northeastern region.
The list of products includes 20 new items such as, turmeric and ginger, ban tulsi, ban jeera and raw bamboo brooms. Meghalaya and other Northeastern states had demanded to include bamboo brooms as minor forest product.
The scheme, which was launched by the Congress-led UPA government in 2013-14, involves fixing MSP for identified MFPs collected by tribals in remote areas. These tribals then sell the MFPs in village marketplaces.
If the market prices fall below MSP, the state government agencies move in to procure the produce. The decision to increase the MSP and include more items in the list comes at a time when the Centre is concerned that the tribals would not have adequate money for basic essentials.
The village marketplaces have been closed by respective state governments to avoid overcrowding.
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), the nodal agency for the scheme, recommended the increase to ensure more disposable income for tribals. A decision was taken at a high-level meeting attended by 26 states through video conferencing.
The MSP was last increased in January 2019 for two year gap. But this time due to COVID- 19, the same was increased in advance.
This is also the second time in two years when so many products have been brought under the ambit of MSP.
The ministry had doubled the products from 24 to 50 in 2018. With the new additions, 70 MFPs would now be under MSP scheme.
TRIFED managing director Pravir Krishna said, “The decision was taken as the tribals need more help at this time”, he said.
During the lockdown there is lack of essentials and if the government agencies do not
step in, the tribals would be pushed to sell their products to middlemen who would not give them the right price.
“We want to ensure they have enough food and money for essentials,” the official added.
