Institutional Support for Development and Marketing of Tribal Products/Produce

The scheme “Institutional Support for Development and Marketing of Tribal Products/Produce” was introduced in 2014-15 by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India. The scheme is implemented by revising and merging existing two separate schemes - "Market Development of Tribal Products/Produce" and "Grant-in-Aid to State Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation for Minor Forest Produce Operation".
The Scope:

• To give comprehensive support for people belonging to various tribes in the entire range of production, product development, reservation of traditional heritage, support to both forest and agricultural produce of tribal people, support to both forest and agriculture produce of tribal people, support to Institutions to carry the above activities, provision of better infrastructure, development of designs, dissemination of information about price and the agencies which are buying the products, support to Government agencies for sustainable marketing and thereby ensure a reasonable price regime.
• Sharing of information with Gram Panchayat and Gram Sabha
• Skill upgradation, development of utilitarian products for increase in value market.

Activities to be undertaken under the Scheme:

Market Intervention: The various aspects of marketing intervention which will be supported under this scheme are:-

1. fixation of equitable prices for existing products both manmade and natural;
2. Actual procurement by State agencies as a safety net program and not monopoly/nationalization.
3. Support during seasons of harvest when prices tend to get depressed;
4. Sharing of information on prices so that people can make informed and conscious decisions and thereby markets become efficient;
5. Selling of products by the State Agencies in urban areas and areas away from where they are produced to increase the demand for the products.
6. Grading of products,
7. Standardization,
8. Source certification/Patent etc.
9. Other promotional activities,

Training and Skill upgradation:

1. Training for improved production and higher-grade products
2. Training related to manmade products to improve quality
3. Diversion to high-value products
4. Development of improved quality and design.
5. Linkage with other departments such as agriculture, horticulture, khadi and village industries, handlooms, and handicrafts, etc. for augmentation of training, skill upgradation, and technological support.

R&D/IPR Activity

1. New product development through new usage
2. Development of new products per se
3. Development of new cost-effective processes for product development
4. Expansion of the market of the tribal products through R&D measures
5. The IPR regime would be to document traditional knowledge and craft for seeking benefits of royalty and protection against piracy
6. New technologies of harvesting, scientific harvesting practices, etc. are other measures of R&D
7. Documentation and preservation of tangible and intangible heritage for promoting tourism etc.

Supply Chain Infrastructure Development:

1. Setting up of efficient warehousing facilities, godowns, cold storages, etc. wherever necessary
2. Establishing processing industries for value addition.
3. Sharing of information on inputs with the producers/gatherers
4. Develop product-specific efficient warehousing both at the IA level and also at the village level
5. Training related to product-specific warehousing.

Trade Information System:

1. Capturing information about different tribal products related to the sources, types, potential, production, collection, etc.
2. Collection and dissemination of trade information about various aspects of tribal products/web-enabled service SMS etc.

In addition to the above, the following activities:

1. Creating brands or brands for tribal produce/products,
2. Developing product designs keeping in view the export market and support for exports.

Support under the scheme will be made available to:

1. Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation (TRIFED),
2. State Tribal Development Cooperative Corporations,
3. State Forest Development Corporations (SDCs),
4. Minor Forest produce (Trading and Development) Federations (MFPTDFs),
5. Other institutions identified for product design, development, export processing, training of tribal producers, patenting and trademark, research, GI certification, and activities ancillary to the above.

Offline

Step 01: The Implementing Agencies (IA) would be responsible for preparing the proposal and detailed action plan along with budgetary requirements and submitting it to the State Tribal/Welfare Department well in advance.

1. A proposal from TRIFED would directly be submitted to the Ministry while for other IAs, the same has to reach the Ministry through their Nodal Ministry/Department.
2. The proposal received from the implementing agencies should include the plan for the current financial year as well as a perspective plan with activities that may have to be completed in more than one financial year. As far as possible, the emphasis would be to establish systems, processes, and mechanisms that are transparent and sustainable.

Step 02: The implementing Agencies will send their proposals incorporating the above factors.
Step 03: The proposal shall be accompanied by utilization certificates as per provisions of GFR.
Note 01: No fund will be provided for the purpose for which the fund has already been given under some other scheme. For this purpose, the implementing Agencies will certify that it has not received funds from any other sources for the activities proposed under this scheme.
Note 02: State governments will also be responsible for the IA whose proposals are sponsored by them.