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The Returns from the collection and sale of non- timber forest products are often low due to weak market linkage,low and fluctuating prices and poor quality of the products.As a result,these products often fail to gain recognition for their contribution to the livelihood of the people and this in turn resulted in forest conversion for short term economic benefit from agriculture/grazing by forest fringe farmers.This therefore calls for designing strategies which could possibly reduce the destruction of these forests by the creation of appropriate market linkage through which the primary producers and other important actors in the market chain can be benefited.For facilitating this endeavour,this book has tried to characterize the existing market structure,conduct and performance of the NTFPs,assessed the cost and profitability of NTFPs production, identified the determinants of supply and problems associated with the existing market chain. Hence,the information generated helps environmentalists for justifying the need of maintaining forests.The information generated could also make governments give more attention for gearing participatory forest management.

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