Chhattisgarh to give agriculture status to lac cultivation

Chhattisgarh government has decided to consider lac cultivation as an agriculture activity in state and promote its farming as a livelihood option for farmers, particularly those living in remote and forest areas, officials said on Tuesday.

Lac is a scarlet-coloured resin secreted by an insect called 'laccifer' or 'kerria lacca' that makes its home on trees. resin is scraped off from trees, dried and processed to form lac which is used in jewellery and lear industries, y said.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel gave his consent on Monday to accord status of agriculture to lac cultivation in state, a public relations official said.

A proposal on this was earlier submitted to chief minister by states forest department in a bid to make lac farming a profitable endeavour for cultivators, he said.

While giving his consent, Baghel instructed agriculture, forest and cooperative departments to present a proposal with mutual coordination during next meeting of state council of ministers to include lac and or such profit-yielding produces in agriculture, he said.

Once lac farming gets status of agriculture, farmers associated with its production would be able to avail loans via co-operative societies, like or cultivators, official said.

Chhattisgarh has ample opportunities for lac farming, particularly in its norrn and sourn parts which are densely forested.

Lac cultivation is being done in several parts of state by farmers on 'kusum', 'palash' and berry trees in a tritional manner, but due to lack of modern and systematic ways of farming, y fail to fetch good profits against investment, official said.