Soaring climatic temperature over 40 degrees Celsius these days has severely affected the Lac production a cash crop in Madhya Pradesh.
According to the farmers over 75% of the lac is damaged due to the high temperature this summer.
Basant Rahangdale farmer growing lac in the Barghat block of Seoni district said the rise in temperature has almost damaged the lac production incurring heavy financial losses.
Barghat block in Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh is largest producer of Lac in the country with annual production of over 1.0 lakh quintals.
In year 2011, Madhya Pradesh became first State to announce minimum support price of Rs. 105 for this crop.
Lac, a scarlet coloured resin secreted by a 0.50 millimeter size insect known as Kerria Lacca on 113 host trees and Lac is refined because of the commercial value of its finished product known as shellac used for several industrial uses, cosmetics and to polish fruits including apple.
Generally lac is harvested twice a year in month of May and October in Shahdol, Anuppur, Dindori, Mandla, Seoni, Balaghat, Narsinghpur, Hoshangabad, Chhindwara, Betul and Jabalpur districts.
Four native trees species including Palash, Ber, Kusum and Ghont is used by the producers of lac in the State where one gets 6-10 kilogram per Ber tree and 2-3 kilogram per Palash tree.
The farmers use Ber and Palash plant where they get around 2.5 kilogram Lac per plant.
Presently in open market the farmers get Rs.600 on sell of one kilogram of Lac.
Komal Singh Baghel said there was huge financial loss this year given the price per kilogram was better than previous years.
For farmers this cash crop is like an insurance against the natural losses incurred in other general crops. The money earned from Lac production is used by the farmers for marriage and house repairs, he said.
JNKVV Directorate of Research principal investigator, Dr. Moni Thomas said the Baisaki lac is good in texture and quality and in Barghat block of Seoni district maximum farmers go for Lac production.
Barghat is a big market of Lac in Madhya Pradesh. Lac is produced at varying scale in 33 districts of Madhya Pradesh (MP), covering ten out of its eleven agro-climatic zones. The ten major lac producing districts of MP are bordered by Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states.
