Ranchi, May 17: Tribals of 12 states can now cash in on the opportunity to market indigenous products through Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (Trifed).

According to an idea mooted by Trifed managing director Wilfred Lakra, tribal products would be brought to the federation — a wing of the ministry of tribal affairs — which would sell it.

Middlemen would be bypassed and the tribals stand to earn more if the model is realised.

The idea was put forth at a programme organised by CCF-India at Krishi Gram Vikas Kendra in Rukka, about 25 km from Ranchi. Tribals from 12 states congregated at the venue.

“Tribal are cheated by middlemen as they are always in need of money and so in a hurry to sell their valuable products,” said Lakra. “Mostly, the products fetch meagre prices. Trifed would ensure that tribals are paid in advance through a chain of NGOs tagged by CCF-India. Standard wholesale prices would be set for each commodity.”

To start with, Trifed has agreed to directly procure mahua, karanj, neem, honey, cotton clothes, pickles, home-ground rice, coffee and tea from the indigenous population.

The tribals in the network spanning Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh would benefit through this channel, said CCF-India’s director of micro-finance institutions Guru Naik.

The Trifed managing director invited the tribals and their representatives with their “valuable” products to the Adishilp fair to be organised by Trifed in November, Lakra. “Two hundred stalls would be put up at the fair, which could take place in Delhi, Jaipur, Bangalore or Chennai,” he said.

But Jharkhand would be the main focus of the tribal cooperative, said its managing director.

The other dignitaries who attended the programme included the Jharkhand and Orissa state co-ordinator of Mission Bio-fuels India Private Limited, S.S. Das. The company agreed to provide jatropha saplings to tribals for Re 1 or 2.

“We also work with Trifed to procure tree-borne oils such as mahua, karanj and neem. We would need the help of NGOs and self-help groups to produce and market the products of the tribals,” Das added.

At the event, several experts said it is the responsibility of the NGOs to hygienically and smartly pack and market edible tribal products.