A CROSS THE central India, mahua trees are in full bloom. Revered as the “tree of life” by tribal communities, their flowers signal the start of a four-month season when forests generate the much-needed cash for the country’s 300 million people, living at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, and a hectic schedule for traders, processors and exporters. Lucrative produce like tendu leaves, sal seeds, bamboo, and lac, become available only during this period, and get the country’s Ì€ 20,500 crore-year forest-based economy going. “But this time the market is completely stagnant,” says Mayank Agarwal of Shree Vinayak Enterprises, a lac processor and exporter in Purulia district of West Bengal. Purulia is a major lac manufacturing and exporting hub in the country. On April 16, soon after extending the 21-day lockdown to 40 days to contain the spread of coronavirus, the Centre exempted collection and trading of lac and other nontimber forest produce (NTFP) from the rules. “It has been 10 days since the announcement. Yet I have not received any fresh raw material,” says Rakesh Gupta of Ganesh Lac Udyag in Kolkata that primarily caters to the domestic market. “This is because policies take time to translate into action in an unorganized industry like lac,” he adds. Agarwal, however, says he is not in a position to buy fresh lac even if they arrive. “I have not been able to sell my stocks as most of my clients are in countries like the US, China, and Spain that are badly hit by the pandemic,” says Agarwal.
This story is from the May 01, 2020 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 01, 2020 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
In leading role again
MOVIES AND WEB SERIES ARE ONCE AGAIN BEING SET IN RUSTIC BACKGROUNDS, INDICATING A RECONNECT BETWEEN CINEMA AND THE COUNTRYSIDE
One Nation One Subscription comes at a huge cost
As top US universities scrap big deals with top scientific publishers, India’s ONOS scheme seems flawed and outdated
Return of Rambhog
Bid to revive and sell the aromatic indigenous paddy variety has led to substantial profits for farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Terai region
Scarred by mining
Natural springs of Kashmir drying up due to illegal riverbed mining
Human-to-human spread a mutation away
CANADA IN mid-November confirmed its first human case of avian influenza, with a teenager in the British Columbia being hospitalised after contracting the H5N1 virus that causes the disease. The patient developed a severe form of the disease, also called bird flu, and had respiratory issues. There was no known cause of transmission.
True rehabilitation
Residents of Madhya Pradesh's Kakdi village take relocation as an opportunity to undertake afforestation, develop sustainable practices
INESCAPABLE THREAT
Chemical pollution is the most underrated and underreported risk of the 21st century that threatens all species and regions
THAT NIGHT, 40 YEARS AGO
Bhopal gas disaster is a tragedy that people continue to face
A JOKE, INDEED
A CONFERENCE OF IRRESPONSIBLE PARTIES THAT CREATED AN OPTICAL ILLUSION TO THE REALITY OF A NEW CLIMATE
THINGS FALL APART
THE WORLD HAS MADE PROGRESS IN MITIGATING EMISSIONS AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE IMPACTS. BUT THE PROGRESS REMAINS GROSSLY INADEQUATE
