Market analysis of major products from community managed forests : a study from the foothill watersheds of Nepal | |
| Author | Acharya, Bhim Nath |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.RD-04-10 |
| Subject(s) | Forest products--Marketing--Nepal Non-timber forest products--Marketing--Nepal Wood products--Marketing--Nepal |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The study is about the market analysis of major products from community-managed forest in Nepal. Main objectives of the study were to assess major traded products, market centers and their accessibility, existing marketing system and channels, people's feedback regarding existing practice, price variation and marketing margin of the forest products. The study also analyzed various social, economic and institutional factors associated with price and income from the forest products. The market analysis in this study concerned about the market centers, accessibility, marketing systems, marketing channels and price differences between different markets of the forest products from CFs. The research analyzed how the individual users got benefits from the CFs and income earning from it. The research was conducted in the two districts Nawalparasi and Chitwan from inner Terai region of Nepal from the two watersheds. Using structured questionnaire, 142 households from four CFs were interviewed along with group discussions, field visit and key informants survey with the various stakeholders. The research was applied both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. The study confirms that the marketing of products from the CFs were still in a development stage. There was limited harvesting and trading rights of the products to the individual users and established system of marketing is lacking for the benefits of individual users. Harvesting of the products by the FU Gs and sold to their own users were the most common practice. The users of CFs traded very selected NTFPs. For the trading of both products formal marketing channel was popular. The group traded timber products to the local users collectively and NTFPs were traded mostly through cooperatives to the herbal medicinal industries. There was still a certain role of intermediaries found to the marketing of NTFPs. Various social economic and institutional factors were associated with marketing of timber and NTFPs. The institutional factors were the key determinants for the benefit from the marketing. Policy related aspect was the major problem of product marketing and benefits from CFs. No provision of individual benefits because of inappropriate policy guidelines and impractical operational plan were the key constraints. The poor and marginalized people were not getting any sort of direct benefits from the CFs. Duration of accessibility to the forest and less information and knowledge about marketing were additional problems associated with the market development. There is a need to improve institutional arrangement system and the provision of policies for individual benefits and income from CFs. The provision of clear policy guidelines for marketing of products, incorporation of marketing component in the operational plan to get direct benefit to the users and price information to the collectors for higher profits was recommended. Existing cooperative marketing approach should continue with the uses of local knowledge for processing that will be beneficial to get more income from the products. |
| Year | 2004 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Rural Development, Gender and Resources (RD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Soparth Pongquan |
| Examination Committee(s) | Zoebisch, Michael A. ;Shrestha, Rajendra |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | DANIDA ;AIT Fellowship |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2004 |