Manipur has emerged as the champion state where the Van Dhan programme has emerged as a major source of employment for the local tribals.
Since the time that the programme was launched in the state in October 2019, 100 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras have been established. These constitute 1500 SHGs and are benefitting 30,000 tribal entrepreneurs, who are involved in the collection, processing, value-adding, packaging and marketing of value-added products from minor forest produce.
TRIFED- Tribal Cooperative marketing Federation of India has been implementing several programmes and initiatives, ever since its inception as the nodal agency working in the areas of tribal upliftment. The purpose of these initiatives is to make India self-reliant under the Atmanirbhar Abhiyan.
- With the active participation and cooperation of the Manipur government at every level, the kendras of Manipur have turned out to be a model enterprise for the rest of the country.
- The TRIFED nodal office, along with the support and the implementing agencies from the district administration and other stakeholders, has been extremely instrumental in mentoring the tribal entrepreneurs in Manipur through team meetings, training, workshops, advocacy.
- Various skill development and cluster-wise training and the up-gradation for the value addition of NTFPs were organised.
- The entrepreneurial management at the district level was also organised through the collaboration of the existing companies such as Meira Foods, Zingran Foods, ThangjamAgro Industries, and Kangla Foods.
It is a program for branding, value addition, and marketing of the Minor Forest Produces by establishing Van Dhan Kendras in order to promote the creation of sustainable livelihoods for the forest-based tribes.
Van Dhan Tribal Start-ups Programme is one scheme that has majorly contributed to increasing employment and income generation. It is a component of the ‘Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce through MSP & the Development of Value Chain for MFP’ Scheme.