Does offering higher minimum support price by the Government of India for minor forest produce result in improving the livelihood of those depend on it? Analyze (200 Words)
Refer - Business Standard
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 6 years
KEY POINTS
MSP for minor forest produce, a boon
· Tribals derive 20-40% of their annual income from MFP on which they spend major portion of their time.
· This activity has strong linkage to women’s financial empowerment as most of the MFPs are collected and used / sold by women.
· MFP sector has the potential to create about 10 million workdays jobs annually in the country. So fair price to MFP gatherers, will enhance their income level and ensure sustainable harvesting of MFPs.
· Higher MSPs recognizes the critical importance which MFP hold for tribals and its potential to create large scale employment opportunity thereby, helping in reducing poverty and increasing empowerment of tribals particularly women and poor people of the poorest and backward districts of the country.
Higher MSPs for minor forest products won't help
· According to C&AG ,Hardly 25 per cent of the Rs 1,172 crore earmarked by the Centre for this programme in the past five years has been released to the states; the bulk of even the disbursed funds has remained unutilised. None of the major forested states has submitted the audited report on funds utilisation.
· The state agencies nominated to lend price support often prefer to buy the stuff from middlemen rather than creating the infrastructure for procuring it directly from individual collectors.
· Odisha, one of the few states which have opted to implement the MSP scheme for selected forest products, is also reported to be considering to discontinue it because of the heavy financial burden. Thus, for all practical purposes, the collectors of the minor forest produce are at the mercy of middlemen.
It is therfore important to encourage direct linkages between forest produce gatherers and end-users of these products, largely the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food-processing industries.
Sandeep 6 years
Kindly review Thanks
IAS Parliament 6 years
Try mentioning arguments agains higher MSP for Minor Forest Produce. Keep Writing.
Rahul 6 years
Pls review mine
IAS Parliament 6 years
Good Answer. Keep Writing.
