Diversity of Non-Timber Forest Products of Plant Origin, Use and Local Dependence in Mizoram, North-East India

Abstract

The paper reports preliminary findings of a NTFP study which covered 34 villages under 10 forest areas in the state of Mizoram. A total of 314 different species (168 medicinal plants, 40 fruit species, 27 edible plant species, 15 fodder species, 22 fuel wood species, 9 canes, 6 palms, 10 ornamental species, 17 bamboo species) belonging to 100 plant families contributed to NTFP diversity in the state. A diverse variety of NTFPs of plant origin like bamboo poles, small timber, broom grass, rattan, medicinal plants, vegetables, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, leaves, availability of different kinds of flowers during winter months and numerous fruits, bark of some trees, honey, orchids during summer months not only supplement dietary requirement of the rural poor but also provide good income during the ‘bloom’ period. The study further reveals that a diverse variety of forest produce could potentially find alternative livelihood for the forest fringe villages provided marketing interventions and other measures are undertaken to promote such products facilitated by appropriate government policies/incentives are made to the people to promote cultivation of such produce in the degraded/un-classed forests.