Government is going in a big and unprecedented way to revive defunct lac producing units of the State by providing them the desired support in terms of finance, market and training etc. Idea behind this is to generate consistent income to the farmers with the help of changing techniques and circumstances.Informing about this Ritu Kumar, Deputy Director with the Mukhya Mantri laghu Evam Kutir Udyam Vikas Board said that to begin with a seminar for the lac growers was organised on Wednesday.
“One day workshop conducted today about lac as value added product mainly about sealing wax and bottom lac for developing procurement system, proving training, assured marketing, credit linkages for formation and brining the lac market together. It was also for reviving the closed down lac processing units of the State. The workshop would provide all necessary support to restart the units in the days to come,” she said on Monday.
Also, the initiative would help in branding of lac as value added product at global level through pilot project. There are 12 lac producing units or societies in different parts of the State especially concentrated into lac producing districts such as Khunti, Simdega, Ranchi, Gumla, Palamu and some others which have gone defunct over the period of time in the want of market and finance. The officials said that representatives from TRIFED, IINRG and JASCOlAMPF along with the society members also took part into the workshop. MoUs with buyers were also inked on the occasion.Director of Indian Institute of Natural Resins & Gums KK Sharma, MD of JASCOlAMPF RS Pandey, TRIFED Regional Director AK Mishra and others attended the workshop.
“The Mukhya Mantri laghu evam Kutir Udyam Vikas Board has been set up to provide all desired support to the growers in getting their income back. During the workshop ideas about how to revive the closed units, how to provide them market space, how to ensure the supply of raw materials, how to provide training to the farmers with latest techniques, arrangement of finance by bank linkages and providing technical support for upgrading old machines would be found out,” said the Deputy Director.
The Board has its presence in all 24 districts and 253 blocks of the State which would chip in when the support is imparted to the lac growers. “There is no dearth of backup support with us. Once the famers are brought into mainstream and their links are revived we would easily provide them with timely and desired support and coordinate with them in finding local haats and linkages to the purchasers,” said she.