The Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Forest based livelihood in Uttarakhand, established under the ambit of Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST), which is a pilot project funded by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has stated that there is a need to allow regular planned harvesting and properly channelising the lichen sector through tendering and marketing from forests to mandis in Uttarakhand.
The CoE is studying the dependence of forest fringe villages on forest resources for sustaining their livelihood. In its study the CoE found that the collection labour cost of high grade lichen has 62- 82 per cent share in total expenses incurred whereas a trader earns 77-131 per cent profit by selling it in the mandi depending upon the quality of the lichen and the transportation cost. Drying is the only post-harvest processing and no grading is done at collector’s level. The collectors are unable to get their due share of profit due to ignorance and inadequate resources. lichen collection is the second highest income generating activity after agriculture for the poor villagers in State.
The harvesting method being adopted currently is of rotational manner which poses a big obstruction for the development of lichen sector as big livelihood opportunity. There is a need to allow regular planned harvesting and properly channelising the lichen sector through tendering and marketing from forests to mandis. These strategic changes will help enhance the livelihood of the collectors in state.
According to UCOST, with about 90 per cent mountainous area and considerable area under tree and forest cover, Uttarakhand has half of its population in the rural region which depends on the surrounding forests for a part of its living. Forests are important natural resources available providing fuelwood, fodder, biomass and other major and minor forest produces. Earlier during last century, only timber was considered as an important contribution of the forests as it yielded sizable revenue to the State. Post 1970’s the minor or non-timber forest products (NTFPs) were recognised to play great role in sustaining the forest dependent population.
The forest based livelihood in this Himalayan region is of great economic and ecological significance for the people due to large variety of forest based products and services. Many NTFPs provide large livelihood opportunities which are used largely for trade and hence supplement their annual income.
lichen that consists of two unrelated organisms, a fungus and an alga growing in symbiotic association, is an important non-timber forest produce which is collected from the branches and trunks of the trees in the mountains. It finds uses in preparation of perfumes, dyes, ayurvedic medicines and condiments and hence provides livelihood to the collectors in the mountainous of Uttarakhand. Up to 2400 tonnes lichen collected from Uttarakhand’s mountains is sold annually through open auction at three state herbal mandis of Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation located at Ramnagar, Rishikesh and Tanakpur.