Best Practices for Production, Processing and Marketing of Tribal based Commodities during COVID-19

Abstract

Natural plant ecology support the livelihoods of a vast number of people through subsistence use of products, such as food, fodder, and medicinal plants; cash income obtained from sale of products; and more indirect ecological benefits such as the contributions of forests and trees to agricultural productivity and environment. The links between tree cover, access to food and improved dietary diversity are also becoming increasingly evident. While the benefits from forests are numerous, the tangible benefits like timber, bamboo, fuel wood, fodder, Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs), etc., are quantifiable. Intangible benefits like maintenance of ecological balance, conservation of soil and moisture, regulating the water flow, carbon sequestration, etc., are not quantified but are of great significance.Pest management and pruning activities are very critical for lac cultivation. Collection activities for other NWFPs are required proper isolation norms. The lac resin deteriorates in quality during storage. Therefore, lac and lac based products need proper handling and storage practices for retaining their properties and qualities. The deterioration in physical and chemical properties of lac takes place as a result of various chemical changes during storage. As it ages, lac slowly loses its solubility in alcohol, becomes less fluid and possesses poorer life under heat as a result of slow polymerization reactions. The extent of such deterioration depends upon various factors such as method of storage, storage environment (temperature and humidity), type of lac etc. Thus when stored in improper conditions for a long time, the resin becomes useless for all practical purposes which has became a major concern of lac industries.