A Nagaland University study has identified 47 Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) across villages in Nagaland and Meghalaya, highlighting the important role of Non-Timber Forest Products in supporting tribal livelihoods, local economies and biodiversity conservation.
The study calls for sustainable utilisation and management of NTFPs through ecological assessments and structured harvesting guidelines to ensure these valuable forest resources remain available for future generations. Researchers also highlight the potential of NTFPs to create employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for marginalized communities in remote forest areas, providing an additional source of income beyond traditional agriculture.
Conducted across 20 villages covering 250 households, the study identified 47 plant-and animal-based NTFPs and assessed their collection, utilisation and economic value. The findings show that forest-dependent tribal communities rely on these resources for household consumption as food, beverages, medicines and other value-added products, while surplus produce is sold in local markets, making NTFPs an important source of livelihood and supplementary household income.
Highlighting the importance of research on topics of relevance to local communities, Prof. Jagadish Kumar Patnaik, Vice-Chancellor, Nagaland University, said that Nagaland University continues to contribute meaningful research addressing the socio-economic and ecological priorities of the North Eastern Region. He added that the identification of the economic value of 47 Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) across Nagaland and Meghalaya is a significant step towards recognizing the immense potential of the forest resources in strengthening rural livelihoods and ensuring food security. He congratulated the research team for the commendable achievement and hoped that their findings will contribute to policy decisions and the sustainable utilization of the rich natural resources for the benefit of the present and future generations in the North East.
Elaborating on the study, Prof. Sanjoy Das, Department of Agricultural Economics, Nagaland University, said that despite India’s rich biodiversity, the economic value of many Non-Timber Forest Products remained inadequately recognised. Through this study, Das mentioned that they identified commonly available NTFPs in selected areas of Nagaland and Meghalaya, documented their collection and utilisation patterns, and assessed their economic value, highlighting their importance for rural livelihoods and the need for their sustainable utilisation and management. A key finding of the study was the scientific identification and classification of the forest products, most of which are used for nourishment followed by therapeutic purposes.
The researchers also documented the plant parts that were commonly used, their seasonal availability, the frequency of collection, the average time spent on collection trips and the distance travelled by villagers. Bamboo shoot was the highest return earning NTFPs in Meghalaya while wild black pepper was the most common and highest return earning NTFPs in Nagaland.
North East India is home to more than 33% of India's total flora and supports over 100 indigenous communities that rely on forest products for sustenance and income. Non-Timber Forest Products play an important role in supporting the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities, yet their economic value remains inadequately recognised. Although India is home to about 3,000 NTFP species, only 126 have developed marketability, highlighting the need for their scientific identification and economic valuation.
The findings were published in Indian Journal of Ecology ( https://indianjournals.com/article/ije1-52-2-005?utm ), a journal that publishes original research on ecology, environmental science, biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, and ecosystem sustainability.
The Paper was co-authored by Limasunep Ozukum, Prof. Sanjoy Das, Prof. Amod Sharma, Prof. R. Nakhro, Prof. N.K. Patra, Prof. Manoj Dutta and M. Jangyukala from School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema Campus.
(DIPR)