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| Non-timber products see western markets |
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2005/9/20
KATHMANDU, Sept.16: The demand for environmentally friendly products in Europe and America and awareness among the consumers there to buy such products have created an opportunity for Nepali non-timber forests products to find a foothold in the international markets through the certification of forests.
About 602,865 kg of raw and processed non-timber forest products worth Rs.35.1 million (about US$ 500,000) were exported in 2004, said Dr. Bhisma P. Subedi, executive director of Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources (ANSAB). 揟here is increased demand for certified products in America and European countries, but we are in the initial phase of production.?
Non-timber forest products worth Rs.2 billion are exported every year from Nepal and about 70 to 80 percent of goods are exported directly from Nepal, said Dr. Subedi 揟he major exports are hand-made paper and herbal and cosmetic oil.?br />
Forest certification is done by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international organisation, and in Nepal the Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN) is given the responsibility of certification.. FECOFUN is conducting the programme in Bajhang and Dolakha district covering 10,016 hectare of forest area.
According to Navaraj Dahal, programme officer at FECOFUN, 23 species of non-timber forest products have been certified by FSC and Nepal is the first country in Asia and fifth in the world to obtain FSC certificate.
揟his programme is based on a chain of custody where the producers of the raw materials to the manufacturer, to marketing persons to the consumer level should be able to identify the product,?said Dahal.
But lack of proper management and manufacturing companies in the country are the major drawbacks. However, in one-year period 10 Nepalese companies and Aveda Corporation, a US-based manufacturer of non-forest timber product, have joined ANSAB to manufacture the certified products, said Subedi.
Deputy Director General, Dr. Keshav Kadel at Community Forest Division said the concept of certification of forests is evolving ?an outcome of decline of the tropical rainforests.
After the report of the Nepal Forest Association on certification further steps towards certification will be taken to speed up the process, said Kadel. 揅ertified products have a growing demand in the international market, and we need not worry about the depletion of forest resources because of the export of forest products.? |
| Source:http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np |
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