Resource Assessment of Non-Timber Forest Products : for Enterprise Development

Inventory of NTFPs is a rapidly growing field of considerable interest to people across a wide range of disciplines and contexts. There is a growing body of experience of NTFP inventory to support national policy, forest management and local forest-based livelihood initiatives. Recently, quantitative assessment of Non-Timber forest Products resources in the wild has been the prime concern of researchers and authorities. This is because of the growing shortage of raw materials in the wild and by the need to maintain their sustainability and potentialities to provide off-farm employment opportunities to the rural communities. Due to increasing recognition of the importance of Non-Timber Forest Products to local livelihoods and biodiversity conservation, the need for accurate assessment of NTFPs growing stock and yields as well as standarization of sustainable harvesting techniques has become more critical than ever before. The research entitled "Resource assessment of Non-Timber Forest Products for Enterprise Development" was carried out to determine the status and distribution of NTFPs in two community forests of Tukucha VDC of Kavrepalanchowk and Sudal VDC of Bhaktapur districts.