State-level training session on Food Grade Mahua collection to be organized in Gariyaband on March 5
Nearly participants from across the state will participate in the training
Raipur, March 03, 2022/ In a bid to ensure that forest dwellers can get maximum income from the collection of Mahua flowers, Chhattisgarh Government has decided to procure “Food Grade Mahua” collected using scientific method at Minimum Support Price this year. For this, Mahua collectors are being trained in the collection of food grade Mahua flowers. The state government has fixed minimum support price of Mahua at Rs 33 per kg. After the declaration of MSP, the collectors are getting better prices in the market. Besides, if Mahua collectors collect food grade Mahua, then its cost is Rs 50 per kg. The collectors are getting value up to Rs 116 per kg for food grade Mahua obtained as a result of adopting advanced technology in minor forest produce collection and processing work.
A state-level training session will be organized on March 5 in village Farsara of Devbhog area of Gariyaband district to provide training to Mahua collectors regarding the collection of food grade Mahua. Nearly 80 Mahua collectors from across the will participate in this training session. As a part of food grade Mahua collection, the collection of Mahua flowers is done by tying a collection net around the Mahua tree. This protects the flowers from the dust and sand of the ground. These Mahua flowers are then collected and kept in a vegetable carat by laying polythene. They are then sold by the collectors to their primary forest produce committee.
As per the direction of the Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel and Forest and Climate Change Minister Mr. Mohammad Akbar, efforts are being made to provide maximum benefits to the forest dwellers through collection and processing of minor forest produce. In this line, a process has been developed by the Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce Cooperative Federation Limited to manufacture food grade Mahua flowers.
Advance tenders have been issued for sale, with a target of collecting 2000 quintals of food grade Mahua flowers. In the first phase, 1150 quintals of Mahua flowers were sold at the rate of Rs 116 per kg. Forest Divisional Officer Mr. Mayank Agrawal informed that in the year 2021-22, over 28 thousand quintals of minor forest produce have been purchased by Gariyaband District Union through Primary Forest Committees and Women Self Help Groups. A remuneration of Rs 8 crore has been distributed to the collectors.
