New Delhi, May 13: A four-day workshop on forests products statistics in India will begin here today.

Organised by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the statistics will assist planners and policy makers.

The workshop is being organised to establish a network to facilitate collection, processing and dissemination of statistics pertaining to tropical timber and other forestry parameters.

The workshop will discuss various issues which include the ITTO guidelines and approach towards the forestry data requirement in the form of JQ-1 and JQ-2 etc, the progress and approach regarding the project titled “Establishment of a network to facilitate Collection, Processing and Dissemination of Statistics pertaining to Tropical Timber and other forestry parameters in India” funded by ITTO, the problems being faced in non-submitting of forestry data by some States/ UTs, the prioritized species and other forest products (wood and non-wood) and, in statistical terms, the parameters for their evaluation and assessment.

It is expected that the State Governments/UTs will come up with the details of the latest report of forestry statistics submitted by them to ICFRE in the prescribed format, copies of the annual administrative report of the States/UTs for the last five years, the details of existing validated data sources the necessary web site, published documents by the States in this context, if any, the list of working plans approved and in the pipeline for approval in States/UTs.

The workshop will also discuss removal of fuelwoods, fodder, and grasses through headloads and other means, removal of timber and non-timber forest products including medicinal plants from non-forest areas, demand and consumption studies of wood and non-wood forest products including medicinal plants.

Representative of ITTO and FAO, Rome, Italy, statistical advisor in the ministry, principle chief conservator of forest, chief conservator of forest, directors, Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Forest Research Institute, Kerala Forest Research Institute, GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Ecology, Indian Plywood Industry Research and Training Institute (IPIRTI), Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Indian Agriculture Statistical Research Institute (IASRI) and Representatives of some NGOs will participate in the workshop.

More than 60 experts are expected to attend the workshop. (ANI)