Relationship between Family Traits and Non Timber Forest Products Based Activities

The role of women in collection, processing, consumption and trade of NTFPs is very crucial as it contributes directly to the family income. The present research was conducted in Karnataka state of India during the years 2004-06 with the objective to analyse the relationship between socio-economic characters of the families and the type of NTFP activities done by the families. Maximum percentage of families involved in NTFP activities belong to the scheduled caste and tribe families and were having nuclear family system. They lived in kuchha tile roofed houses and did not own any agricultural land. About 22 different types of NTFPs were collected by the inhabitants. Maximum percentage of women collect muttal leaf followed by fuel wood, fodder grass and jamun fruits. An average of 5 hours per day and 35.51 days per year were spent for NTFP collection activities and a distance of 8.85 kms per day was traveled by women for NTFP activities. Highly significant and positive correlation was observed between the number of female respondents and total number of NTFPs collected and the income from NTFPs. Where as highly significant and negative relationship between total agricultural land and NTFP collection days, total time spent per day, average distance traveled for NTFP collection and total quality of NTFPs collected was observed.