For millions of tribal and forest-dwelling communities, forests are not only a source of food and natural resources but also a major source of livelihood. Minor Forest Produce, or MFP, including honey, tendu leaves, mahua flowers, tamarind, lac, bamboo and medicinal plants, contributes significantly to the incomes of many tribal families.
The government is seeking to strengthen this forest-based economy through the Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM), which focuses on value addition, skill development, market access and community-owned enterprises.
According to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, around 20 to 40 per cent of the annual income of many Scheduled Tribe households is derived from Minor Forest Produce.
What is Minor Forest Produce?
Minor Forest Produce refers broadly to non-timber forest produce of plant origin. The Forest Rights Act, 2006, includes products such as bamboo, cane, honey, wax, lac, tendu leaves, medicinal plants, herbs, roots and tubers under the category.
For tribal communities, collecting and selling these products has traditionally been an important livelihood activity. However, forest gatherers have often had limited access to markets and were dependent on intermediaries to sell their produce.
This could result in producers receiving only a small share of the final market value.
What is PMJVM?
The Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission was launched in 2021-22 to create a more organised system for tribal communities to process, add value to and market Minor Forest Produce.
The mission seeks to move tribal communities beyond selling raw forest produce by providing them with skills, technology, infrastructure and market linkages.
A key component of the mission is the Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK) model.
What are Van Dhan Vikas Kendras?
VDVKs bring tribal forest gatherers together through self-help groups and help them undertake primary processing and value addition.
A VDVK is generally formed by clustering around 15 self-help groups, comprising about 300 tribal members. At least 60 per cent of the members are required to belong to Scheduled Tribe communities.
The Van Dhan Yojana, launched in 2018, forms the foundation of this model.
Instead of selling raw products, members can process them into products with greater market value. Depending on local resources, this can include food products, herbal products, spices and other value-added goods.
As of July 31, 2026, 4,172 VDVKs had been sanctioned, of which 2,911 were functional. The centres had linked 12.48 lakh tribal members and reported sales of around Rs 168 crore.
How does the government support tribal producers?
PMJVM provides support at different stages, from collection and processing to marketing.
Skill development: Tribal gatherers are trained in scientific harvesting, processing and value addition.
Infrastructure: VDVKs receive support for setting up facilities at beneficiaries’ homes or in government or Gram Panchayat buildings.
Processing equipment: Depending on the locally available produce, centres can receive equipment such as cutting and sieving tools, decorticators, dryers and packaging equipment.
Working capital: Financial linkages are facilitated through banks, financial institutions and the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation.
Storage and transportation: Support is also provided for storage and transportation on a rental basis.
How does Minimum Support Price help?
Another important component is the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism for Minor Forest Produce.
The government has notified MSP for 87 MFP items under the scheme.
The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India, or TRIFED, purchases non-timber forest produce through state implementing agencies at the predetermined MSP, irrespective of fluctuations in market prices.
Since 2013-14, state governments have procured 2,67,954 metric tonnes of MFP worth Rs 693.98 crore under the scheme.
The Forest Rights Act also recognises the rights of forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers to procure and sell MFP. The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, provides tribal Gram Panchayats ownership rights over Minor Forest Produce.
How do tribal producers reach larger markets?
Producing a product is only one part of building a sustainable enterprise. PMJVM therefore also focuses on market linkages.
VDVKs are established around local Haat Bazaars, which are important procurement points for forest produce. There are more than 5,000 such haats in tribal areas.
The government is also working to modernise these markets by providing facilities such as permanent structures, storage, drinking water, shade and weighing equipment.
TRIFED provides market intelligence, including information on daily rates and e-commerce opportunities.
The scheme also supports branding, promotion and advertising through festivals, exhibitions and artisan fairs. Other interventions include geo-tagging of VDVKs, development of Geographical Indications for tribal products, upgrading IT and e-commerce platforms, and research and development.
How is the scheme supporting tribal women?
Women play a major role in the collection, processing and sale of forest produce, making the VDVK model an important avenue for women’s economic empowerment.
One example is the Nyigamane, Ho Yorbe, Medumhagdum VDVK in Arunachal Pradesh’s Leparada district.
Established in October 2021, the VDVK has 300 women self-help group members and farmers. It processes locally available forest and agricultural produce into marketable products.
These include King Chilli pickle, bamboo shoot pickle, turmeric powder, ginger powder, pineapple jam, pineapple squash and orange squash.
The VDVK has sold products worth Rs 11 lakh since 2022-23, according to the Ministry.
The model gives women a collective stake in the enterprise, allowing them to participate not only as workers but also as owners of the business and its brand.
What is the larger objective?
The broader objective of PMJVM is to strengthen the tribal forest economy by combining traditional knowledge and locally available resources with modern processing, technology and market access.
By helping communities move from selling raw forest produce to processing, branding and marketing finished products, the mission seeks to increase the value captured by tribal producers themselves.
The approach also places emphasis on community ownership, sustainable harvesting and better integration with domestic and digital markets.
For forest-dependent tribal communities, the shift is therefore not simply from forest to market, but from being raw-produce gatherers to becoming participants and owners in a value chain.
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