With the State Government deciding to allow kendu leaf operations during the ongoing coronavirus-related lockdown period, it is expected that a business of about Rs 500 crore would be transacted this year.
This decision would not only boost the kendu leaf business, it would also bring smile on the face of nearly 10 lakh pluckers and labourers engaged in this trade.
While around 3 lakh quintal of kendu leaf is collected by the State Kendu Leaf Organisation and marketed by the Odisha Forest
Development Corporation (OFDC) every year, OFDC Managing Director Rajiv Kumar expressed happiness over the decison.
Kendu leaf plucking was supposed to start from April 15 till May 15, but nobody was sure of the plucking and processig due to the lockdown.
Now, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Kalahandi districts would l begin kendu leaf collection and other districts would follow them, aid sources.
While 50,000 quintals of leaf are collected in these three disticts, around 2.50 quintals are collected and processed from other districts. They are exported to Sri Lanka and other countries.
There are 9, 00, 000 kendu leaf pluckers, 26,000 binders and 27,000 temporary labourers working in this sector.
Last year, the State Government had announced Rs 222 crore bonus and other incentives for them for the Leaf Season 2018.