Socio-economic characteristics of lac growers and host trees Utilisation pattern: A comparative study

Abstract

India is the largest lac producing country in the world. Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh state jointly contributing more than 70% of total lac produced in the country. The present study was carried out with a view to examine the utilization pattern of lac host trees across different categories of households and its policy implication. The study is based on primary data for the agriculture year 2012-13 and collected from 200 farmers from Bastar, Dantewada and Rajnandgoan (Chhattisgarh) Jamtara, Khunti, Ranchi, and Saraikela Kharsawan districts (Jharkhand). The data were analyzed category wise, based on land holding size by using tabular analysis and percentage. Average number of lac host tress per households across various categories varied from 43 to 84 while the number of lac host tress utilized ranged from 16 to 45 among various categories of households. It was observed that 48-51% households owned palas (Butea monosperma) tress, 41-78% ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) and only 29-33% owned kusum tree (Schleichera oleosa) and overall 72-80% of sampled household owned effective host trees (under lac cultivation) either of palas, ber or kusum. About 20 to 28% of sampled households were possessed host trees but were not involved in lac cultivation. They are required to be targeted for motivational training programmes. About 35 to 59% households are using less than 50% of the available host trees. They may be provided technical guidance to utilize more proportion of host trees for lac cultivation. A big potential in this sector can be harnessed for generating gainful employment and livelihood security of the poor households at micro level and earning of foreign exchange at macro level.