Delhi, Dispur to boost ethnic verve

* TRIFED 25 retail centres across India in February

* Three to come up in Guwahati 
* Brand me: ‘Tribes India’
BY OUR STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Dec 30: In a major boost to improve livelihood of the ethnic people of the State, the Centre has reached an agreement with Assam Government to implement an ambitious scheme to procure various products produced by such communities at high prices. 
Additiol Secretary in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs Prabir Krish on Saturday met top officials of the Assam Government including Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia and discussed ways to successfully implement the scheme. 
Krish told reporters here on Saturday evening that Minor Forest Produce (MFP) is a major source of livelihood for the ethnic people who belong to the poorest of the poor section of the society. The importance of MFP for this section of the society can be gauged from the fact that around 100 million forest dwellers of the country depend on MFPs for food, shelter, medicines and income. The ethnic people derive 20 to 40 per cent of their annual income from MFP and this has strong linkage to women’s empowerment as most of the MFPs are collected and sold by women, he said, adding that MFP sector has the potential to create about 10 million workdays annually in the country. 
Krish said recognizing the critical importance of MFP which could generate large-scale employment opportunities empowering ethnic people, the Centre has introduced an ambitious scheme of providing fair price for the MFP through Minimum Support Price (MSP). Besides providing MSP the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Assam Government will also create value addition to MFPs to attract high prices as well market in tiol and intertiol markets, he said.
According to Krish his ministry has reached an understanding with Assam Government to procure about nine MFP produced by the ethnic people of the State through MSP and create value addition for them from January next year. Towards this end 1000 procurement-cum-value addition centres will be set up across the State. 
Krish said the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd (TRIFED), an agency under Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Assam Plain Tribes Development Corporation will sign an MoU on January 4 to implement the Centre’s scheme of procuring and giving value addition to MFPs. He said his Ministry will approach the State Forest department to promote various products produced by the ethnic populace of Assam. 
The TRIFED will set up 25 retail centres across India in February to sell tribal products at reasoble prices in the brand me of “TRIBES INDIA”. Out of 25 retail centres three will be set up in Guwahati. 
Krish said once the scheme of MSP and retail centres are set up the mece of middlemen selling tribal products at very high prices by procuring them from the ethnic populace at very low prices can be done away with. 
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs will also organize Aadi Mahotsav in Guwahati from February 15 to March 4. The Mahotsav will be a feast of shopping, dining and music where various tribes will participate to showcase their art, culture as well culiry skills.

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