Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) of Noney District, Manipur (India): a market survey

NTFPs encompass all forest products of biological origin other than timber collected from forest and trees outside forest.These products benefit the society, the culture, and the economy.The present study was undertaken to identify economically important NTFPs sold by vendors in markets of Noney district of Manipur (India) predominantly inhabited by Rongmei tribe.Surveys were conducted in 5 local markets using modified semi-structured questionnaire.The study documented 43 NTFPs produced by 39 species of angiosperm, 1 gymnosperm and 3 edible macro-fungi with varied utilization patterns.Among the various forms of utilization, use as vegetables is the commonest and represented by 19 species, followed by 10 species of edible fruits, 9 species as food-medicine.Among the various NTFPs, macro-fungi are the most profitable items for the vendors, though the products are harvested seasonally.Other products like bamboo shoot, banana leaves for wrapping and as leaf-plates, leafy vegetable Rhychotecum elliptecum, banana pseudostem, are in high demand and commonly sold items in all the 5 markets.