Unsustainable harvesting killing non-timber forest species

New Delhi, Sep 29 (UNI) The National Status Report on Forest and Forestry has strongly recommended cultivation of commercially important non-timber forest produce (NTFP) to save these species of trees from becoming extinct.

Several of such species in natural forests have already disappeared due to unsustainable and destructive harvesting resorted to for economic returns.

The Report was released by the Ministry of Forest and Environment here recently.

Except for a few important species like aonla, which are being cultivated reducing the pressure on harvesting from natural forests, most of species continue to be collected from forests.

The collected material is much cheaper than the cultivated one, which has resulted into an unsustainable extraction.

For example, in Bastar district of Chandigarh, 'Rauwolfia serpentina', a source of an important alkaloid 'reserpine' used in moderating blood pressure, used to be removed by truckloads in the 1960s resulting in total disappearance of the species today.

Similarly premature harvesting of bamboo in dry decidous forests of central India for making incense sticks(Agarbatti) resulted into large scale death of the tree species and degradation of bamboo stock.

Landless labourers, women and children and other marginalised populations are engaged in the collection of NTFP which provide them subsistence and income, especially during slack seasons, as these are a major portion of their fuel, food, fodder, fruits and medicines.

Most of the NTFP collected by them is sold in raw form and in distress because the poor collectors have little bargaining and holding power.

The problem has been further accentuated by state monopolies, which are heavily loaded in favour of traders.

They are often paid less on the pretext of poor quality of the material.

The report calls for investment in research in sustainable harvesting, propagation technique and cost-effective value addition which can be carried out at the household level.

It also stresses the need of local-level institutions to support the villagers in their efforts and keep away the middlemen.

UNI NAZ SB HT1400