Vanopaj

MFP-PARC

The State of Madhya Pradesh is endowed with a rich and varied expanse of natural resources. The abundant natural resources play an important role in fulfilling the livelihood needs of people dwelling in and around forests.

Owing to ever increasing anthropogenic pressure, coupled with erratic exploitation regime, these resources are facing irreversible depletion. Madhya Pradesh Minor Forest Produce(Trading & Development) Co-operative Federation Ltd. is working to ensure that precious natural resources can be protected and harvested in sustainable manner.

	To ensure village empowerment, to provide structure for medicinal plants processing and value addition, to provide quality raw material of medicinal and aromatic plants, and to impart technical and economical impetus, M.P.State Mandi Board along with M.P. State Minor Forest Produce Federation financed a project in the year 2002-2003 under which Minor Forest Produce Processing and Research Centre (MFP-PARC) has taken its shape at Barkheda Pathani, Bhopal. The programmes initialized are as under : Quality Control and Standardization for MAP Developing Technology for Processing of MAP Spreading awareness about MAP Facilitating Marketing of Minor Forest Produce
Vision Stimulate and strengthen the partnership between Government, Herbal Industries, Scientific community and collectors/farmers to protect, promote and project traditional herbal healthcare systems and products. Objectives Developing better technology for primary processing, value addition and packaging of MAP & its products to help its farmers/collectors increase their income. To provide facility of laboratory testing for MAP to farmers/cultivators and small processors at very reasonable charges. Spreading awareness of non destructive harvesting techniques to the collectors of MAP. Research and development in this sector. Developing marketing-system for raw material of medicinal and aromatic plants. To provide training facilities in non-destructive exploitation, processing, value-addition etc. of MAP to all stake-holders. Encouraging environment protection and spreading awareness about biodiversity conservation. Activities Quality Control and Standardization for MAPs Under this program, research work and analysis of different active ingredients present in different medicinal & aromatic plants has been taken up. The awareness of quality parameters prevailing in the national and international market will be provided to the cultivators/collectors. Lab testing facilities have also been made available to general public.
Developing Technology for Processing of MAP Under this program farmers interested in agro-forestry. harvesting, primary processing, scientific extraction and marketing of MAP are being trained. In tribal areas, collectors of minor forest produce, members of primary co-operative societies and villagers are also being trained about bio-diversity conservation, primary processing and value addition.
Spreading Herbal Awareness about MAP Under this program, the knowledge of the medicinal plants farming and their harvesting and other aspects are being made available to students, farmers, small cultivators and people at large through herbarium, nursery etc. Training at the MFP-PARC is also being imparted to collectors so that herbal awareness reaches the masses.
Facilitating Marketing of Minor Forest Produce Under this program, the marketing facility of medicinal and aromatic plants’ raw material is being provided to collectors /farmers/ producers by inviting buyers and make them available an easy access for disposal of their harvest. On-line facility has also been provided so that in coming times, a proper system of business linkages of grower/ cultivators/ collectors, manufacturers, and producers is facilitated.