Lac production has been given the status of agriculture practice in Chhattisgarh, enabling the government to provide benefits of short-term agriculture loan and interest subsidy to lac farmers and farmers groups.
An order this effect has been issued by the Joint Secretary in the Department of Agricultural Development, Farmers Welfare and Biotechnology.
The order states that farmers or farmers groups should be given short term agricultural loan at the prescribed debt scale for production and primary processing of lac crops such as safflower, palash and plum.
They will also be given interest subsidy on short-term agricultural credit.
According to an official communication on Friday, it is noteworthy that there are immense possibilities of lac cultivation in Chhattisgarh.
Lac has traditionally been cultivated by the farmers on safflower, palash and plum trees. But due to lack of lac production in a systematic and modern way, the farmers do not get the expected benefits in lieu of cost.
So, the Forest Department proposed to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel that lac farming should be given the status of agricultural practice so as to make it a profitable practice. Baghel gave his consent to the suggestion.
About 50,000 farmers in Chhattisgarh will directly benefit from this decision. The state now produces 4,500 tonnes of lac. Tribal and forest dwellers are engaged in largescale cultivation of lac, whose production in the state will increase up to 10,000 tonnes.