Non Wood Forest Product

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All latest workshop, seminar, conference, training, any activity information of division/office Most Recent Activities and Achievements: Division Organized two days National workshop on Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants & NTFPs (November 26-27, 2014) as a side event of 13th Silviculture conference. 160 delegates participated in the workshop. Proceedings of the workshop have been published by FRI.

The Division provides technical advice and services to various disciplines of FRI and FRI-DU.
The Divsion undertakes identification of raw drugs for various national agencies and judicial cases.
Developed and extended Cultivation protocols of high and low altitude medicinal and aromatic plants viz., Ammi majus, Atropa acuminata, Atropa belladonna, Canna edulis, Cymbopogon citratus, C. winterianus, Digitalis lanata, D. purpurea, Dioscorea deltoidea, Ephedra gerardiana, Eucalyptus citriodora, Hibiscus abelmoschus, Hyoscymus niger, Mentha arvensis, Mentha piperita, Ocimum sanctum, Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum kilimandscharicum, Podophyllum hexandrum, Rauvolfia serpentina, R. canescens, Valeriana officinalis, Elaeocarpus ganitrus, Prunus cerasoides, Hebernaria intermedia, Microstylis wallichii, Spilanthes oleraceae, Taxus baccata, Nardostachys jatamansi, Picrorrhiza kurroa, Colchicum luteum,Andrographis paniculata, Asparagus racemosus, Desmodium gangeticum, Oroxylum indicum, Uraria picta, Piper pedicellatum Agro-Mediculture models for sustainable diversified farming. Four models for cultivation of medicinal plants such as Withania somnifera, Asparagus racemosus, Ocinmum sanctum, and Andrographis paniculata under the shade of agro-forestry species like Eukalyptus, Poplar and horticultural species have been developed. The models are biologically compatible, economically feasible and physically possible.
Ex-situ Conservation of 150 species of high and low altitude medicinal, aromatic plants including endangered species and NWFPs through establishment of Herbal Gardens cum Conservatories at Dehradun and Chakrata.
Standardised eco-friendly RILL Method of sustainable Resin tapping from Pinus roxburghii and extended the same to all the resin producing states including capacity building.
Standardised BORE HOLE Method of sustainable Resin tapping from Pinus roxburghii.

NON TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS DISCIPLINE

The term “NON TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS DISCIPLINE” has been coined to replace the old term “Minor Forest Products”. Since the term M.F.P. in the IV World Forestry Congress, 1954, it was suggested that M.F.P. be termed as “Economic Forest Produce other than wood”. This term has again been recently modified as “Non-Wood Forest Products” to cover all forest produce other than timber and fuel wood.The term “NON TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS DISCIPLINE” has been coined to replace the old term “Minor Forest Products”. Since the term M.F.P. in the IV World Forestry Congress, 1954, it was suggested that M.F.P. be termed as “Economic Forest Produce other than wood”. This term has again been recently modified as “NON TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS DISCIPLINE” to cover all forest produce other than timber and fuel wood.
All products of plant or animal origin, except timber and fuel wood, that are collected by human beings for their day to day use and livelihood generation for termed as Non Wood Forest Products. According to an estimate 275 million people in India are dependent on these resources.
The better known among the NTFPs of socio-economic importance are leaves, bamboo and canes, gums, resin and oleo-resin, oil-seeds, essential oil including oil yielding grasses, fibers and flosses, grasses than oil yielding grasses, tans and dyes , drugs and species, animal products and edible products, etc. Their contribution to the economy is largely un-quantified as more than 60 percent of such production is locally consumed and are unrecorded.

It is estimated that NTFPs provide employment opportunities to millions of people residing in or outside the forest areas.

Non Wood Forest Products (NTFPs) are derived from over 3,000 species.
Research Team

Scinario of Division and common facilties

History of Division :
The Division of NON TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS DISCIPLINE came into existence as follows:

In 1906, when the Forest Research Institute was started, economic research on minor forest products (MFPs) was entrusted to the Economic Branch headed by Mr. R.S. Troup.2. The name of the Economic Branch was changed into Utilization Branch in 1932.3. In 1942, it was designed as Chemistry and Minor Forest Products Branch and carried out a number of researches on the then called MFPs.4. In 1950, the combined Chemistry and Minor Forest Products Branch was spilt up and the Minor Forest Products Branch was separated as a separate entity and continued research on MFPs till 1964.5. Thereafter several IFS officers have headed the Division and the name of the MFP Branch was changed to Non Wood Forest Products (NTFP) Division in 1993 and continued till today.

Since then, the Division has been instrumental in development of economic research on medicinal and aromatic plants, essential oils, gums, resins, tans, fatty-oils, dyes, waxes, fibers and flosses, etc. This division also deals with numerous technical inquiries annually received from forest departments, industries and private entrepreneurs.
Incumbencies of the Heads of NTFP Discipline (during last twenty years) are:

1999-2004, Dr. P.P. Bhojvaid, IFS

2004-2005, Shri K.K. Chaudhari, IFS

2005-2006, Dr. R.K. Shrivastava, IFS

2006- Feb 2013, Dr. Lokho Puni, IFS

Feb 2013 – May 2018, Dr. A. K. Sharma, FNSE

May 2018 – (Merged with Silviculture & Forest Management Division) – Headed by Smt Arti Chaudhary