Seventy five per cent of the tribal households in our country are engaged in Mahua flower collection meaning a population of around 7.5 million is into this livelihood activity. Various studies indicate that a household gets between Rs 2500-5000 in a normal Mahua year. An estimate says that 28600 person years of employment are generated in mahua flower collection every year(FGLG India, 2008). But the income for the primary collectors/processors in this transaction is very low. This is often attributed to an unorganized market and little access of the primary collectors to the market.
The major issues in Mahua flower sub sector are
•Distress selling and low price realization at the producer end
•Unsustainable harvesting and often environmentally damaging practices in collection •Depletion of the resource base and its concentration in the hands of large farmers
•Non availability of credit for producers
•Absence of quality standards and non adherence to quality parameters
•Failed initiatives leading to a hands off approach by state agencies
•No major commercial breakthroughs in alternative products development
The study find three major leverage points namely credit, storage and knowledge. The recommendations along with their financial implications are given below.
Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers across the country collect and sell a range of forest produces to earn a living. Forest produces not only commands a large share but also a critical element in their livelihood basket. The timing and the cash yielding nature of a large number of forest produces make it an indispensable part of their life. The income from forest produces goes as investment in agriculture, serves as the risk hedging instrument in crop loss years, meets requirements of health emergencies and major consumption expenditures like clothes and festivals.