Abstract

Abstract:- Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are a vital source of revenue for tribal communities around the world, especially in India. Many rural Indians are completely reliant on NTFPs to meet their most basic requirements. A review of numerous NTFPs, their economic behaviour and future prospects were conducted in this work. To better understand how the Santal tribes in India's Paschim Medinipur area use NTFPs to improve their livelihoods, this article investigates the commercialization of NTFPs and identifies the best management practises. The key data sources in this study were ethnobotanical data, a household survey of forest residents, and a market survey. Multipurpose use and the importance of NTFPs were assessed by calculating the value of different species. Participatory assessment methodologies and a market survey were used to establish how various NTFPs were collected, marketed, and valued economically. Commercialization patterns of NTFPs were studied using market channel, net return, & price spread models. The price and marketability of NTFPs were studied using multiple regression models. Traders and intermediaries are selling the products of indigenous peoples because they lack the knowledge to add value and because they lack access to the market. This means that in metropolitan and worldwide markets, the price spread of NTFPs is wider than it is in local markets. It is possible to maximise the benefits of NTFPs for local communities through communitybased development techniques.Keywords: NTFPs, Price spread, Tribal people, Medinipur, Forest, Commercialization potential, Santal livelihoods.