| LAC Development Programmes |
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| Lac is a natural resin of great international utility. It is widely used in many industries all over the world. India Exports about 80% of its total production to almost all the countries, thereby, earns foreign exchange of about 85 crores of rupees in an average per year. The socio-economic condition of Lac cultivators depends on the income of Lac cultivation. Most of the tribal cultivators cannot produce marketable surplus of Agricultural cash crops for earning due to small holdings and inferior land condition which though suitable for Lac host trees but not for other cash crops. So, Lac has significant role in rural economy. |
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| In West Bengal, about 99,000 cultivators are engaged in Lac cultivation. On an average about 1500 MT of stick lac is produced in this State which is about 7.5% of the total production of lac in India amongst the rural areas of backward district like Purulia, Bankura, Midnapur, Murshidabad and Malda have been traditionally cultivating Lac as a subsidiary source of income. The State Govt. has been implementing a number of schemes for the development of Lac cultivation as well as for promotion of Lac processing units. |
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| For imparting necessary technical know-how among the rural people, the State Govt. has introduced schemes for providing training to the cultivators on improved method of Lac cultivation. Arrangements for demonstration in the rural areas are being done by the Cottage & Small Scale Industries Directorate, so that the Lac growers can cultivate properly in their own host trees. |
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| The State Govt. has been implementing another scheme for providing price support by way of purchasing stick Lac from the growers through the existing Lac Co-op. Societies during lean seasons. There is a scheme under which quality brood Lac and necessary tools and implement are distributed to the poor cultivators free of cost to encourage them to undertake Lac cultivation in their own trees. |
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| This Directorate has set up 24 State Broodlac Farms in Bankura-12 nos. , Purulia-8 nos, Malda-2 nos. and one each at Murshidabad and Paschim Medinipur to provide minimum supply of higher quality of broodlac to poor lac growers. As the surplus of State Farms are not sufficient to cater the demand of cultivators, good quality of broodlac are purchased from the market and distributed among the needy lac growers free of cost through local panchayets. These State Farms are also served as demonstration centre for modern method of lac cultivation. |
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| LAC - technical aspects |
LAC is the resinous secretion of a very tiny insect. There are two crops from two life cycles of each strain; KUSMI crops are called AGHANI & JETHWI; RANGINI crops are called KATKI & BAISAKHI.
The insects thrive in certain species of trees. The principal LAC host trees are PALAS, BER & KUSUM.
The host trees are pruned in season, when shoots come out, two of three sticks of brood LAC with living insects are tied on to the branches near them. The larvae swarm out, settle on the shoots and go on producing resin. The crop is cut, scraped and sold as stick LAC. Yield of stick LAC is generally three to four times the weight of brood LAC, stages are: |
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| Uses of Lac |
| 1. |
Wood finishing and furniture polishing, |
1. |
cosmetic industry |
| 2. |
printing ink |
2. |
paper varnish |
| 3. |
Electrical industry |
3. |
as gasket cement in automobile industry |
| 4. |
leather and footwear |
4. |
grinding wheels |
| 5. |
as glazing material in pharmaceutical |
5. |
rubber industries |
| 6. |
as coating in confectionary |
6. |
photographic industry. |
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| SHG (Self Help Group) for Lac Industries |
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| Sl. |
Particulars |
Numbers |
| 1. |
No. of SHGs formed |
20 |
| 2. |
No. of members covered by way of formation of SHG |
347 |
| 3. |
No. of Gram sansad involved in the process |
58 |
| 4. |
No. of Lac Host trees taken into consideration in the process in the State Broodlac Farms |
18,231 |
| 5. |
No. of persons taken training from IINRG on modern method of lac cultivation. |
124 |
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