Reliance and livelihood significance of non-timber forest products available in Odisha: A review

Abstract

Odisha is a rich source of forest produce but the Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) has been given a mere importance by the people and the government. Most of the tribes of rural areas basically depend on NTFPs for their livelihood and it acts as a backbone to them. Women from different tribes in Odisha are mostly involved in NTFPs collection and marketing, generating a huge income. Many major and minor NTFPs are collected in Odisha from various parts of forest trees such as sal seed, kendu leaves, lac, broom grass, bahada, harida, amla, karanj, etc. This paper outlines the availability of non timber forest produce in Odisha, their scope and importance for tribal people. It also include a brief idea and challenges which are faced by the rural people during the collection, processing and marketing of NTFPs and some strategy and policies to overcome the issues and challenges of overexploitation of forest produce.