Complex sentence: This policy had prevented the villagers from deriving their sustenance from the forests; the villagers had derived benefits of firewood, fodder, grazing of cattle, minor forest produce and even an income from sale of fuel wood.
Split into simpler sentences: This policy had prevented the villagers from deriving their sustenance from the forests. Earlier, the villagers had derived benefits of firewood, fodder, grazing of cattle, minor forest produce and even an income from sale of fuel wood.