(a) the objectives behind setting up of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited;

(b) the details of the activities performed by the said Federation in Jharkhand during the last three years; and

(c) the activities proposed to be performed by the Federation during the current financial year?

THE MINISTER OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI JUAL ORAM):

(a) Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) was set up 06-08-1987 for ensuring a fare economic price to the tribals through marketing of forest produce with a view to ending exploitation, in close liaison with the State level Cooperative Corporations/Federations. The details of the objectives of TRIFED are given in the enclosed statement.

(b) The details of activities performed by TRIFED are as under:

Year		Quantity of MFP/SAP		Value
		procured (in MTs)		(Rs.in lakhs)
1998-1999	2.89				0.87
1999-2000	281.19	      			17.66       
2000-2001	1176.26				158.74

The main items procured are chironjee, mahua flower, tamarind seeded & ragi.

(c) In the current financial year, the federation proposes to procure the following commodities from the State of Jharkhand:

SI.No.		Commodity		Quantity (in MTs)	Value (Rs.in lakhs)


1.		Lac Seed		100			50.00


2.		Back Gram		200			30.00


3.		Lobia			300			24.00


4.		Niger Seed		1000			130.00 


5.		Ragi                   	200			12.00


6.		Red Gram		1000			120.00


		Total			2800			366.00

Statement

Objectives of TRIFED

(i) To organise and plan, the growth and development of natural products and their trade on rational, scientific and commercial basis in the interest of the tribal population in the country;

(ii) To strive to ensure higher earning and larger employment opportunities for the tribal population by formulation of suitable economic schemes based on natural products;

(iii) To ensure full utilisation of natural products available in the tribal areas including farm and forest produce by exploring new uses for the products and by improving their marketability

(iv) through organised effort;

(iv) To boost up the economic and commercial viability of the TDCCs, FDCs and other State level agencies dealing with procurement, processing and marketing of natural products by providing marketing support to them with a view to achieve the above objectives;

(v) To arrange finances for itself and its supported activities with the above and in view; and

(vi) To identify items of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) in different States to be brought under the ambit of the cooperative marketing and make recommendations for fixation of minimum prices of such MFP in the tribal areas by each State.