This study presents and discusses data that describe the
contribution of NTFPs to cash income in the dry deciduous
forests of Orissa and Jharkhand, India. In its focus on cash
income, this study sheds light on how the sale of NTFPs and
products that use NTFPs as inputs contribute to the rural
economy. From analysis of a unique data set that was collected
over the course of a year, the study finds that the
contribution of NTFPs to cash income varies across ecological
settings, seasons, income level, and caste. Such
variation should inform where and when to apply NTFP forest
access and management policies.