BARIPADA: Alleging faulty procurement policy of the government, sal seed collectors in many parts of Mayurbhanj district have demanded enhancement of minimum support price (MSP) of the seed as the pandemic has affected their livelihood badly. They blamed the SHGs of not procuring the seeds since last year and sought the MSP to be fixed at Rs 50- to Rs 60 per kg of sal seed from the existing Rs 20.
Sakila Murmu, a resident of Nichuapada under Moroda block said it is becoming difficult to make a living selling the minor forest produce, especially during the pandemic in the absence of proper marketing facilities. “Since procurement of sal seeds is not being done by the concerned department, we are forced to resort to distress sale at Rs 10-Rs 12 less than the MSP fixed by the government,” added Murmu.
Small traders from West Bengal and Jharkhand used to procure the seeds at Rs 25-Rs 30 per kg in the pre-pandemic times to make oil out of it but continuous lockdowns restricting inter-State movement has affected the trade. “Now traders do not come. SHGs engaged to procure seeds seldom visit the rural pockets. So all this has put us in hardship and we are selling the seeds to local traders at throwaway prices. While earlier, we were making Rs 2,000-Rs 3,000 annually, we now earn a paltry amount which is barely enough to sustain our families,” said Rukuni Naik, another tribal seed collector in the area.
The district has vast reserves of sal forests which are a major source of livelihood for thousands of forest dwellers in the region. The seeds generally ripen during April and May and fall down from the trees. Tribals living near the forests collect the seeds, clean and dry the seeds and sell as minor forest produce (MFP). To avoid exploitation from both local and outside traders, the government had fixed an MSP for sal seeds and the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) of Karanjia and Baripada are engaged in procuring the seeds from the tribals through SHGs.
Executive engineer of Baripada ITDA Basanta Sethy said the agency has provided Rs 10 lakh for procurement of sal seeds and two centres have been set up at Betnoti and Bangiriposi blocks to facilitate the same. “The SHGs have just started procuring the seeds and we will ensure the collectors get their dues,” added Sethy.