Introduction of Non-timber forest products:

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are the plant (botanical) and fungal (mycological) resources
and associated services of the forest other than timber, pulpwood, shakes, or other wood
products. In many countries around the world, wild animals are also considered important
NTFPs.
According to Chamberlain et al. (1998) NTFP may include fungi, moss, lichen, herbs, vines,
shrubs, or trees. Many different parts are harvested, including the roots, tubers, leaves, bark,
twigs and branches, the fruit, sap and resin, as well as the wood. In this document, the term non-
timber forest resources is mostly used. Honey and other bee products to be NTFPs when the bee
forage is mainly wild land areas; others argue that bees are a domesticated species and the fruits
of their labor is no more a NTFP than beef raised on forest range.

NTFP's have perceived economic or consumption value for humans and also represent forms of
biodiversity that are critical to maintain on the landscape from an ecosystem management
perspective. Thus, NTFPs are a conservation concern on state forest land when their
sustainability as species or populations or the health of other components of the forest ecosystem
is threatened by virtue of their value and corresponding harvest rates as NTFPs.

One example of the general categories of NTFPs is:
Floral greenery
wild edibles
Medicinal and nutraceuticals
Landscaping and restoration products
Crafts and art
Miscellaneous products (essential oils, smoke woods, soaps, etc.)
Forest-based cultural or eco-tourism with a NTFP component.


Major non wood forest resources and its distribution
Bamboos
Bamboo is one of the most important non-timber forest products. Over 100 species of bamboo
occur naturally in Bangladesh.
Distribution:
Bamboo is found almost everywhere. Its distribution is governed largely by rainfall, temperature,
altitude, and soil conditions. Bamboo is an important constituent of many deciduous and
evergreen forests and extends from tropical to mild temperate regions.
Uses:
Bamboo culms: used as a raw material in Pulp and paper industry.
Flooring: flooring is as good as the flooring made from hardwood in terms of density,
hardness, abrasion and color changes under UVradiation.
House: millions of people mainly the poor, live in houses made from bamboo.
Plybamboo: A substitute for plywood as a construction material for house.
Charcoal: Barbeque, purifying water and air and adjusting moisture contents
Handicrafts: Bamboo is used to made handicrafts and economically help poor people.
Bamboo shoots:Food for millions of people worldwide and important export products
Forage for livestock
can be used to make medicine,beer, and vinegar.
Goalpata :
Golpatta (Nipa fruticans) is one of the valuable non wood forest resources of Bangladesh's
mangroves.
Distribution:
It is common in tidal channels, rivers, low salinity estuaries and in swampy localities in the
interior of the mangrove forests.
Uses:
The leaves are principally used as thatching material
can also be made into bags, baskets, hats, mats, raincoats and wrappers.
The leaf mid-ribs can be made into brooms.
The petioles are cut as firewood after sun-drying.
Fresh petioles are used as tying materials and coarse brushes. From the cut stalk, sap can
be extracted from which alcohol, wine, sugar and vinegar can be obtained.
Ripe fruits can be eaten raw.
Bet or cane:
Cane (Calamus spp) is one of the most important renewable non-wood forest products.
Distribution:
They are mainly distributed in tropical, sub tropical and lower temperate belts in these regions.
The forests in which it is seen are Evergreen, semievergreen, moist deciduous or subtropical
evergreen types. They are rare in dry deciduous forests.
Uses:
Multifunctional raw materials for handicraft industries due to its flexibility, durability and
lightness
used for furniture, baskets, working sticks, decorative pieces etc.
The pulp of fruits of some species is edible.
Tender shoots are used as vegetables.
Some are used as indigenous medicines and also in religious practices.
Hantal
Hantal (Phoenix paludosa) is a small, clump-forming erect palm.
Distribution:
It is distributed throughout the Sundarbans, particularly in dry banks of khals, rivers and creeks.
It sometimes appears as the dominant undergrowth and is ecologically important in the
mangrove forests.
Uses:
It is a valuable material to villagers near the Sundarbans.
Stems are harvested and used as purlins and rafters for village houses, as posts for
trellises for growing betel leaf, and for animal shelters and fencing.
The leaves are used in making walls for houses and other shelters.
Hogla
Hogla (Typha elephantina Roxb) is an abundant non wood forest resources of Bangladesh.
Distribution:
It is found in the mangroves and tidal forests of coastal belts adjoining the Sundarbans.
Uses:
Hogla leaves are woven into mats used for beds, to dry crop on and for prayer mats.
They are also used for making storage containers and hut walls.
Young succulent leaves are a forage crop palatable to animals.
Hogla pollen grains are collected and sold in the markets
used to make home-made cakes.

Honey and beeswax
Honey and bees wax are important non wood forest resources in the mangrove forests.
Distribution:
This two are collected mainly from mangrove forest.
Uses:
Honey and the pollen in it are used as medicines, high energy food, and as a source of vitamins
and minerals.

Essential oils
Essential oils, also called volatile oils, are classified according to source:
Grass oils: Inclides- lemon grass oil,palmarosa oil,ginger grass oil,citronella oil and vetiver oil.
Wood oils: Sandalwood oil, agar oil, deodar oil, and pine oil.
Leaf oils: Eucalyptus oil,cinnamon leaf and bark oils, pine needle oil, mint oil etc.
Root oils:Costus oil from Kuth and Indian valerian oil from Valeriana wallichii.

Uses:Essential oils are used in the following industries:
(i) Soap and cosmetics
(ii) Pharmaceuticals
(iii) Confectionery and aerated water and
(iv) Attars, scented tobacco, agarbattis, incense, etc.



Economic and social benefits from NWFPs
Macro-Economic Benefits
The Government of Bangladesh collects significant earnings from the royalties, taxes, and other
charges on NWFPs. Modest export earnings are derived from the sale of bamboo and shells.
Sophisticated finished articles and souvenirs made from NWFPs are major exportable items of
the country which often carry with them the aesthetic cultural dignity of the nation.
Micro-Economic Benefits
The collection, processing, and marketing of NWFPs provides employment to thousands of rural
Bangladeshis. NWFP homestead or mini industries use local labor and raw materials, which are
crucial importance to the otherwise rather stagnant rural economy of Bangladesh.
Socio-Psychological Benefits
Employment, income generation, and poverty alleviation
Trade
Food security
Health
Forage and pasture
Cultural values
Emerging products, services and issues

Other uses:
Household substance, maintenance of cultural and familiar traditions, spiritual fulfillment as well
as physical and emotional well-being, scientific learning and income. NTFPs also serve as raw
materials for industries ranging from large-scale floral greens suppliers and pharmaceutical
companies to micro-enterprises centered upon a wide variety of activities (such as basket-
making, woodcarving and the harvest and processing of various medicinal plants).

Propagation of bamboo from cuttings:
Bamboo (Bambusa spp) plants are perennials which grow from rhizomes -- underground growths
that form buds and culms. Bamboo is propagated by cutting rhizomes. Propagating bamboo
involves separating rhizomes from parent plants before they begin to sprout new growth in the
spring. The rules of propagating bamboo from cutting is given below-

1. Propagate clumping bamboo in spring on a cool, wind free day, before new culms sprout.
Dig around the edge of the bamboo with a trowel to expose the bottom of the clump.
2. Lift the smallest clumps out carefully, looking on the outside of the clumps for bulges of
growths that have at least three or four culms or rhizomes with buds. Select a piece of the
clump that has strong shoots, roots and buds.
3. Cut the piece away from the parent plant with a sharp spade or pruning saw. Pull up the
entire culms with the rhizomes, and then divide the piece, so that each piece has roots and
approximately four buds.
4. Cover the base of the parent plants with soil immediately. Prune culms to about one-third
of their original size. Plant the rhizomes as the same depth as the parent plants in a
container or in rich, organic soil in the ground.
5. Water the parent plant and rhizomes thoroughly. Mulch the plants with 2 inches of bark
or organic material then stake the culms.


Fig: cuttings of bamboo

The harvesting method of bamboo:
The rules of selecting bamboo for cutting is given below-
1. The older culms in the centre be cut first and the periphery be retained.
2. No new culms of the previous rains be cut.
3. In addition to new culms some of the older culms will have to be retained both for
mechanical support and protection to the young shoots.
4. Culms may not be cut less than 6 inches and more than one feet above the ground expect
in very congested culms where cutting should be done at the lowest possible point.
5. Tearing or splitting the base of the culms while cutting should not be permitted.
6. No portion of the cut bamboo may be left in the clump.
7. From any young clump no culms should be cut until they attain full size.

Fig: harvesting method of bamboo
Propagation of cane from cuttings:
Canes (Calamus guruba)are mostly trailing or climbing palms with numerous spines in its body.
From cutting, cane can be propagated through rhizome like bamboo. Cane cutting propagation is
an uncomplicated method. The methods are given below-
1. Slice the base of a stem with a sharp knife.
2. Cut the stem into short pieces about 3 inches long.
3. Dig a hole and fill the hole with an equal amount of peat and sand. When producing
plants with cane cuttings, then provide a healthy soil for the canes to grow in.
4. Place each cane into the soil mix horizontally, placing more than one cane in each hole.
5. When producing plants with cane cuttings, need to keep the soil moist.

The harvesting method of cane:
The rules of extraction of cane is given below-
In harvesting, mature clumps are cut at the base and hand pulled from their lofty perches on
the crowns of supporting trees. The soft terminal portions are discarded. The sheaths are
removed with a chopper or by dragging then against the trunks of trees with rough bark.
Soon after cutting, the canes are dried in the sun or over a fire. It must be remember that
canes deteriorate quickly if not properly dried soon after harvesting. If the weather is wet,
they should be seasoned near a fire.



The propagation of pati-pata from cutting:

Patipata (Schumananthus dichotoma) is a shrubby plants and generally grows by the edge of
ponds, canals, road side and low-laying areas. The method of propagation from cutting of
patipata is given below-
1. Patipata is propagating from branch cutting.
2. The pre-rooted branch is cut with sharp knife.
3. Then planted in prepared field in line at a distance.
4. If pre-rooted branch is not available, cut branch is kept in water for rooting and then
planted in the field.
5. In case of branch cutting, it takes a bit longer time than other propagation techniques.
The harvesting method of Patipata:
The following rules are considered when Patipata is harvested:
1. Extraction should be sequential felling. That means harvesting will not be allowed in 2-3
years of plantation.
2. Cutting is not allowed during growing season.
3. All dry and dead leaves should be cut when the clump is cleared.
4. Collectors are not allowed to cut leaves which they dont intend to utilize.
5. The central leaf and the leaf next to it, must be retained in each plant.
Golpatta, Hantal and some other non-wood forest products
Golpatta
Golpatta (Nipa fruticans) is one of the valuable NWFPs of Bangladesh's mangroves. It is
common in tidal channels, rivers, low salinity estuaries and in swampy localities in the interior of
the mangrove forests. The plant has a variety of uses. The leaves are principally used as
thatching material, but they can also be made into bags, baskets, hats, mats, raincoats and
wrappers. The leaf mid-ribs can be made into brooms. The petioles are cut as firewood after sun-
drying. Fresh petioles are used as tying materials and coarse brushes. From the cut stalk, sap can
be extracted from which alcohol, wine, sugar and vinegar can be obtained. Ripe fruits can be
eaten raw.
Propagation of Golpatta
Nipa regenerates naturally in the mangrove. It can also be propagated artificially by planting
seedlings along the muddy banks of mangrove forests and also in exposed shorelines. Generally
seedlings are raised on nursery beds regularly inundated by tidal water. Usually two months old
seedlings attaining height of about 25cm are suitable for planting. Generally leaves are harvested
at the age of five and done annually. Harvesting is done once in a year, usually during dry
months (October-February). All leaves are harvested except the unopened leaf and the leaf next
to it.
Harvesting and utilization
Golpatta is sold on a permit basis. Holders of permits from the Forest Department cut golpatta
under the following rules, prescribed to sustain production.
Exploitation should be by sequential felling. This means that harvesting will not be
allowed in any area more than once a year. Moreover, cutting is not allowed during the
growing season from June to September.
The unopened frond, or the central leaf and the leaf next to it, must be retained in each
plant.
All dead and dry leaves should be cut when the clump is cleared.
Flowers and fruits should in no way be disturbed at the time of cutting the leaves.
Collectors are not allowed to cut leaves which they don't intend to utilise. In this way,
the maximum leaf surface possible will be left on each rhizome after it has been cut and
the maximum energy will be left for the plant.
Young plants with only one usable leaf should not be cut.
The usual season for golpatta collection, transport and trading has been fixed from October to
March. After being cut, the golpatta is loaded into boats and transported for marketing in the
surrounding districts. The prevailing price of golpatta is Tk. 480 US$ 12) per tonne. This
includes the costs of collection, transport, royalties and other expenses.
Hantal
Hantal (Phoenix paludosa) is a small, clump-forming erect palm. It is distributed throughout the
Sundarbans, particularly in dry banks of khals, rivers and creeks. It sometimes appears as the
dominant undergrowth and is ecologically important in the mangrove forests. It is a valuable
material to villagers near the Sundarbans. Stems are harvested and used as purlins and rafters for
village houses, as posts for trellises for growing betel leaf, and for animal shelters and fencing.
The leaves are used in making walls for houses and other shelters.
Harvesting and utilization
While hantal harvesting is done by permit holders, there are no set rules for harvesting.
Collection is allowed throughout the year.
There is no indication whether harvesting is done on a rotation basis or not, and there is no limit
on the number of stems that can be collected from each clump. Hantal collectors cut the whole
stem, including the leaves. Often only the stems are transported and marketed. Permittees
generally use a small boat which can easily reach the small khals where hantal grows. After
cutting, the hantal is loaded onto boats for transport and marketing. Most hantal stems produced
from the mangrove forests are sold in local markets surrounding the Sundarbans. There are
thousands of households in need of cheap but durable purlins and rafters for their houses.


Hogla
Hogla (Typha elephantina Roxb) is an abundant NWFP species found in the mangroves and tidal
forests of coastal belts adjoining the Sundarbans. Hogla leaves are woven into mats used for
beds, to dry crop on and for prayer mats. They are also used for making storage containers and
hut walls. Young succulent leaves are a forage crop palatable to animals. Hogla pollen grains are
collected and sold in the markets or used to make home-made cakes.
The Propagation of Hoglapata
No specific rules were found for cutting Hogla. The farmers used three different sites for Hogla
cutting Hogla cultivation i.e, fallow land, low-laying land and agricultural land. Planting
materials usually used for propagation are rhizomes (98%) and seeds(2%)which are mainly
collected from the farmers.

The harvesting method of Hogla
The harvesting method of Hogla is partially as like as Patipata and the method is-
Extraction should be sequential felling. That means harvesting will not be allowed in any
area more than one year.
Cutting is not allowed during growing season.
1. All dry and dead leaves should be cut when the clump is cleared.
2. Collectors are not allowed to cut leaves which they dont intend to utilize.
3. The central leaf and the leaf next to it, must be retained in each plant.
Honey and beeswax
Honey and beeswax are important NWFPs in the mangrove forests. Honey and the pollen in it
are used as medicines, high energy food, and as a source of vitamins and minerals.
Harvesting and utilization
Harvesting of honey is open to the public from April to May. The floristic composition of the
Sundarbans is very favourable for honey collection. Table 4 shows the main species and their
flowering times.
History
Historically, First Nations culture and survival depended on the use and management of non-
timber forest products. First Nations peoples utilized non-timber forest products for a wide range
of purposes including: food, clothing, tools, vessels and medicine.
In the past, trade in non-timber forest products between different First Nations groups was
widespread. Elders in First Nations communities passed on important information on uses and
management of non-timber forest products. In many communities, the interdependent link
between the natural resource and cultural survival contributed to respectful management
strategies for non-timber forest resources.
Historical / Traditional Management of NWFPs:
In the past, First Nations actively managed a broad range of non-timber forest resources with the
goal of long-term sustainability of the resources they depended on for survival. Examples abound
of communal and individual ownership of these resources, and of their careful management
aimed at enhancing or maintaining supplies. Important non-timber resources growing on the
territory of a particular group were considered to belong to that group; others from outside the
group seeking to use these resources were obliged to ask permission prior to harvest
.

On the coast, silverweed, camas, and clover were just a few of the resources often produced from
plots considered to be individually owned. Plots were cleared of branches, large stones, and
competing vegetation - often through controlled burning - and selective harvesting was employed
to ensure good future harvests.
The traditional view of a mutual interdependence with nature encouraged respectful harvesting
and management, respect for the natural world, and the First Nations connection to the land.
Historically, First Nations usage and management were irrevocably linked: sustainably managed
resources ensured the continued use of the resource.


Critical observations of past management / Bottlenecks:
The status of NWFPs in Bangladesh is far from satisfactory. However, the following are the
primary bottlenecks:
Insufficient research and development activities for the key NWFPs.
Lack of conservation and management policies for sustainable production.
Trained personnel and efficient management have not yet been developed for dealing
with NWFP collection, processing and export.
Good marketing facilities have not been developed mainly due to lack of awareness at the
level of the entrepreneurs as well as the buyers.
Incentives and inputs from the Government private and entrepreneurs for promoting
NWFP development are lacking.
Infrastructure, institutional support and logistics for collection, processing and transport
of NWFPs are lacking.
Technical know-low is lacking at every level.
Lack of coordination among the existing institutions and countries.
Few initiatives to involve and assist the private sector in NWFP development.
The Forest Policy of 1994 has failed to introduce any change in land use.





Proposal for future NWFPs Management and development in Bangladesh and the
justification of proposal:
Proposal:
A Government sponsored Studies on propagation, domestication techniques and genetic
improvement of NWFPs.
Justification
E.g. A Government sponsored programme should immediately be taken up for the development
of modern apicultural techniques to improve honey production in the country, especially in the
Sundarbans and Chittagong areas, where the potential for producing high-quality Sundarbans
honey is greatest.
Proposal:
A clear-cut national policy on NWFP promotion and development has to be established now.
The policy should contribute to the harmonious functioning of all public and private sectors
concerned.
Justification As there was no strict policy for the harvesting of NWFPs in Bangladesh this
resources were being extracted in a unorganized and illegal ways. New cutting rules should be
introduced to reduce the amount currently wasted by trimming fronds NTFPs.
Proposal:
A broad-range inventory has to be made regarding the availability of NWFPs and their potential
used.
Justification No proper inventory was practiced for NWFPs availability i8n Bangladesh in the
past. Now a broad range inventory should be made regarding the NWFPs availability in
Bangladesh so that the sector concerned about this issue may6 take better Silvicultural practices,
forest policy etc.


Proposal:
Coordination among the existing technical or vocational training institutions within countries to
raise the technical standards of the public and private workers who are related to collection and
processing of NWFPs.
Justification There are a number of forestry and agricultural research institutions in the country
which are capable of developing such a programme. Such programs on collection and processing
of NWFP Will be helpful in management of NWFPs.
Proposal:
A strong political commitment at the macro level for the promotion and harvesting of NWFPs is
optimistically expected.
Justification With the inception of a new democratic regime in the country, there is always a
chance of changing the act and policies o9n NWFPs. Therefore a strong political commitment at
the macro level for the promotion and harvesting of NWFPs.
Proposal:
Private entrepreneurs should be encouraged by sufficient incentives and policy protection to take
up NWFPs development.
Justification An incentive welfare scheme should be launched for the forest staff working in
remote areas (Associated with NWFPs), until a separate professional body for handling the
matters relating to NWFPs is introduced.
Proposal:
Government could also link the trade and processing of NWFPs with the flourishing Export
Processing Zone now established in the country.
Justification If government could link the trade and processing of NWFPs with the flourishing
Export Processing Zone it may give much money to the entrepreneurs and thus reducing the
NWFPs harvest from the forest.
Proposal:
The government should initially organize markets for NWFPs until such time as the private
investors are fully established and the markets have matured.
Justification The potential of NWFPs cannot be fully realized because of the lack of a sound
marketing policy. Coordination among the different public and private agencies involved in the
collection and processing of NWFPs is badly needed.
Participatory Forestry:
Justification Participatory forestry refers to processes and mechanisms which enable people
with a direct stake in forest resources to be part of decision-making in all aspects of forest
management, including policy formulation processes. NWFP development should be linked up
with the country's Participatory Forestry projects which have achieved notable success in
motivating and mobilizing local inhabitants and resources.
Sustainable Forest Management
Justification Sustainable forest management (SFM) refers to the management of our private and
public forests to ensure they continue to provide not only a sound supply of resources for present
and future generations, but also maintain their environmental values and social services. Thus it
means that forest-related activities should not damage the forest to the extent that its capacity to
deliver products and services. This technique may be very effective.
Conclusion:
In a developing country like Bangladesh, non-wood forest products (NWFPs) play a vital role in
the economic and socio-political arenas of the country. Though branded as "minor forest
products" in old forestry literature and departmental records, they are certainly not "minor"
products in the context of the feeble Bangladeshi economy. They deserve to be given due
attention in their own right.
It is also recommended that the FD work with NGOs, the civil administration and all other
relevant parties for better management of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) in Bangladesh.