The Van Dhan Yojana is an initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED. It was launched on 14th April 2018. It seeks to improve tribal incomes through the value addition of tribal products.
Implementation of Van Dhan Yojana
The scheme will be implemented through different levels as under the table:
| Central Level | Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the Nodal Department |
| National Level | TRIFED as Nodal Agency(Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India) |
| State Level | State Nodal Agencies for Minor Forest Produce Schemes (MFP) and District Collectors |
| Local Level | Van Dhan Kendras are managed by a Managing Committee (an SHG) consisting of representatives of Van Dhan SHGs in the cluster. |
- At the local level, Van Dhan Vikas ‘Samuh’ is constituted with local SHGs with 30 tribal gatherers. They are provided with necessary infrastructure, tool kits for processing local Minor Forest Produce (MFPs) available in the area and working capital from banks.
- Under this scheme, A cluster of ten such SHGs within the same village shall form a Van Dhan Vikas Kendras. Kendras are established for providing skill up-gradation and capacity building training and setting up of primary processing and value addition facilities.
- They all work under the leadership of collector for marketing their products within and outside the state.
- TRIFED provides training and technical support.
- The government intends to develop 3,000 such centres in the country.
Minor Forest Produce (MFP)
- MFP is a major source of livelihood for tribals living in forest areas.
- About 100 million forest dwellers depend on MFPs for food, shelter, medicines and cash income
- It provides tribals (particularly for primitive tribal groups such as hunter-gatherers, and the landless) critical subsistence during the lean seasons.
- Tribals derive between 20-40% of their annual income from selling MFP
- MFPs are collected and used/sold by women mostly hence women’s financial empowerment calls for support to MFP sector
- Nearly 10 million workdays can be created in MFP sector annually in the country
What is Minor Forest Produce (MFP)?
There are two types of forest produce, one, major forest produce, which include pulpwood, sandalwood, timber and fuelwood, etc., two, minor forest produce, which include bamboo, honey, turmeric, tendu leaves etc. The detailed list is provided below. Tribals depend majorly on minor forest produce for livelihood. Keeping this in mind the Union government started Minimum Support Price (MSP) for MFP scheme, which covers MSP for 49 MFPs as of today.
The list of MFPs that may be covered under the Van Dhan scheme is mahua flower, mahua seed, hill broom, chironjee, tamarind, honey, sal seed, sal leaves, bamboo split, myrobalan, mango (amchur), aonla (churan/candy), seedlac, tez patta, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, coffee, tea, turmeric, dry ginger, sea buckthorn tea, etc. Apart from these, any other MFP with potential for value addition may be included.
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