Enhancing Livelihood option for tribal and non-tribal families through capacity building in Lac Cultivation and its value addition at Silli, Kanke and Namkum Blocks of Ranchi district, Jharkhand

About the Project

Jharkhand is the ‘Lac State of India’ which alone contributes about 59% of the national production. Recent studies carried out by Indian Lac Research Institute in Ranchi District revealed that income generated from Lac cultivation is next only to cultivation of paddy. It has been found that about half of the total lac-host trees are still lying un-exploited for lac cultivation in lac growing areas and there are areas where in spite of large number of host trees, lac cultivation is not carried out at all. There is dire need that these lac hosts could be utilised for cultivation of lac.
One of the biggest concerns in lac cultivation is fluctuation in the production of lac. This can be attributed to fluctuation in yield due to lack of penetration of scientific lac cultivation technologies and prevailing marketing practices. The seed (broodlac) for lac production can not be stored and is very short lived. Therefore, whenever, there is a dip in lac production due to adverse climatic conditions in an area, resilience in production is constrained by broodlac supply. Thus, adopting advanced lac production technology and promotion of broodlac promotion centers would help in enhanced/higher return to the lac grower and thereby reducing dependence on seasonal migration, stabilization of lac production and creating favorable environment for growth in lac production.

Increase in production requires considerable technical training. This includes training inputs on timely pruning, brood lac inoculation and precaution against predators of the lac insect. Scaping the lac from sticks and shade drying are generally the primary post harvest activities at production level.
Thus to bring stability there is need to stabilisation of production through intervention in technology availability with the community coupled with backward (brood Lac produces) and forward linkages (community based Lac procurement agents).
There is a need to strengthen the brood lac supply system. Brood lac being a critical component in the lac production and promotion needs attention. In order to ensure timely availability and in the desired quantity within reach of producers there is need to establish brood lac nursery. These lac nurseries will be managed by Local lac growers.

Objective of the Programme
1. Developing 4 broad lac farms (4 x 50 kusum Trees or Ber Trees) to be run by aware and advance lac grower
2. Motivating lac cultivating tribal families to adopt improved package of practices (PoP)
3. Field support to each families for two consecutive crop cycles (2 Years)
4. Training and deploying extension cadre to provide on going field support to the beneficiaries
5. Providing necessary implement kit and pesticides for adopting improve package of practices to the participating families

Project Action Plan

Project Action Plan

1Identifies the beneficiary families and the community based extension cadre

Identifies the beneficiary families and the community based extension cadre
Located in:,

2The extension cadres as Master Trainer are sent to Indian Lac Research Institute in Ranchi District of 1 week intense training,

The extension cadres as Master Trainer are sent to Indian Lac Research Institute in Ranchi District of 1 week intense training,
Located in:,

3Proper pruning of all trees done with support of the extension cadre

Proper pruning of all trees done with support of the extension cadre
Located in:,

4Estimations of brood lac made in case of shortage of brood lac additional brood is procured

Estimations of brood lac made in case of shortage of brood lac additional brood is procured
Located in:,

5Inoculation done

Inoculation done
Located in:,

6Equipment, Assets & pesticides etc. procured and distributed to the beneficiaries,

Equipment, Assets & pesticides etc. procured and distributed to the beneficiaries,
Located in:,

7Inter-culture operation done as per package of practices

Inter-culture operation done as per package of practices
Located in:,

8Harvesting done

Harvesting done
Located in:,

9Marketing support

Marketing support
Located in:,

Who will this help Rise

Target Group will Tribal and Non Tribal forest dwellers

How will this help them Rise?

The state of Jharkhand covers 29% of forest area. Ranchi, Gumla, West Singhbhum, Simdega, Latehar, Palamau, Garhwa, Khunti and Hazaribagh are the main lac growing districts. Though three major lac host trees namely palas, ber and kusum are available in plenty but production is confined in these conventional areas. On estimates, around 110 millions lac hosts are being exploited in the state. More than 4 lakhs families in the state are involved in lac cultivation activity resulting creation of 35-40 million man-days per year but in view of disturbances, these farmers are more or less abundant. Limited availability of broodlac, scattered lac host, poor inter-institution linkages and climate change are the main concerned which limits growth of lac production in these state.

Lac Production is considered to be a complimentary and supplementary form of income to the existing livelihood activities of households. The harvesting periods coincide with the annual low-income stress periods i.e, (June & July) of the majority of the households in the rainfed parts of Jharkhand. Rainfed farming is always associated with risk and low productivity. Erratic and uneven distribution of rain affects the crop growth and its productivity. Under such rainfed agriculture, where Kharif (wet season – July to October) is the main cultivation season for agricultural crops, followed by a fellow or less productivity season under crops in rabi (winter season – November to June). The cropping system leads to a prolonged lean period from November to June. The lean period is characterized by migration, illicit felling and related desperate measures to obtain cash to overcome household food insecurity and other contingencies (repair roofs, marriage, prepration for kharif cropping etc) The main lac crop during the month of may/June months assist household to overcome these difficulties and can also be a significant contributor to reducing migration.
Other important aspects of the lac production in the rural livelihoods are:
• It is relative low cash and labour input crop with high returns.
• It is generally compatible with existing rural livelihood activities in terms of its labour requirements.
• Lac Cultivation encourages conservation of host tress and leads to a regreening of the land and conversation of forest.
• It provides an important livelihood activity for women.
• There will be favourable export market outlook with increasing interest in natural and sustainable products with regular production.
• Scope exists for greater value added activity within the State – including possibly a special export zone for lac industries.

Project Champion

MANOJ SINGH

MANOJ SINGH

Project Location

This Project Needs

Volunteers
2 Help in inoculation, Inter culture operation, spray of medicine and pesticide, protection of Lac farm from thieves, monkey etc, Harvest and support in marketing.

Funding
₹1506000

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Project Keywords

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