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Assessment of Minimum Support Price for Economically Relevant Non-Timber Forest Products of Buxa Tiger Reserve in Foothills of Eastern Himalaya, India

Author

Listed:
  • Trishala Gurung

    (Department of Forestry, Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Pundibari 736 165, India)

  • Avinash Giri

    (Department of Forestry, Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Pundibari 736 165, India)

  • Arun Jyoti Nath

    (Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar 788 011, India)

  • Gopal Shukla

    (Department of Forestry, North Eastern Hill University, Tura Campus, Tura 794 002, India)

  • Sumit Chakravarty

    (Department of Forestry, Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Pundibari 736 165, India)

Abstract

This study was carried out at 10 randomly selected fringe villages of Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) in the Terai region of West Bengal, India through personal interviews with 100 randomly selected respondents. The study documented 102 non-timber forest products (NTFPs) that were utilized throughout the year. In the local weekly market, 28 NTFPs were found to be traded by the collectors. The study shows that without proper price mechanisms and marketing channels; the residents cannot obtain fair prices for their products. The study found only nine NTFPs that were prominently traded with the involvement of middlemen and traders along with the royalty imposed by the State Forest Department. The MSPs computed for these nine NTFPs were 25–200% higher than the prices the collectors were selling to the traders. The nationalization of NTFPs through MSPs will help their effective marketing, ensuring an adequate income for the collectors, which will lead to their sustainable harvest and conservation through participatory forest management. Introducing MSPs for NTFPs with an efficient procurement network can advance the economic status of the inhabitants. We recommend increasing the inhabitants’ capacity to collect, store, process, and market NTFPs with active policy, institutional, and infrastructural support.

Suggested Citation

  • Trishala Gurung & Avinash Giri & Arun Jyoti Nath & Gopal Shukla & Sumit Chakravarty, 2025. "Assessment of Minimum Support Price for Economically Relevant Non-Timber Forest Products of Buxa Tiger Reserve in Foothills of Eastern Himalaya, India," Resources, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-14, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jresou:v:14:y:2025:i:6:p:88-:d:1664140
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. K.S. Aditya & S.P. Subash & K.V. Praveen & M.L. Nithyashree & N. Bhuvana & Akriti Sharma, 2017. "Awareness about Minimum Support Price and Its Impact on Diversification Decision of Farmers in India," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 4(3), pages 514-526, September.
    2. Shackleton, Charlie M. & Shackleton, Sheona E. & Buiten, Erik & Bird, Neil, 2007. "The importance of dry woodlands and forests in rural livelihoods and poverty alleviation in South Africa," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(5), pages 558-577, January.
    3. Norman Myers & Russell A. Mittermeier & Cristina G. Mittermeier & Gustavo A. B. da Fonseca & Jennifer Kent, 2000. "Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities," Nature, Nature, vol. 403(6772), pages 853-858, February.
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