The traditional lac cultivators of state happen to earn a decent amount of foreign exchange annually as the finished product is a 90 per cent export-oriented.

But the fluctuation of international price and large-scale deforestation have discouraged the traditional farmers from farming lac.

Lac is produced by implanting the twigs containing the lac insects in tropical trees such as Palash, Ber and Kusum.

The raw lac produced, is processed into shellac, for use across the country. The majority of finished produced finds its way in the foreign markets, thus generating foreign currency. Shellac is mostly used for painting the butt of revolvers. Every year, tonnes of lac are exported to America, Egypt and Italy.

There are several districts across Jharkhand mainly Ranchi, Palamau, Latehar, West Singhbhum and Hazaribagh that produce lac in large quantity.

The divisional forest officer of Daltongunj (Palamau) Ajay Rastogi said the traditional cultivation of lac has decreased to a great extent. ?Farmers are no more interested in traditional cultivation of the lac. In fact, the seasonal production is not very satisfactory,? Rastogi said.

?The main occupation of marginal farmers has been traditional lac farming. It was their annual source of income. But as time passed, the traditional farmers are switching over to other profession,? Rastogi said.

The reason for low development of lac production is the unscheduled fluctuation of international market, which discourages the traditional lac growers of state says Rastogi.

He adds: ?The finished product is mostly export-oriented. There is not much consumption in Indian market. Traditional growers fear from the constant revise of international rate,? Rastogi said.

The traditional cultivators mainly indulged in collecting raw material from the forest region.

?They mostly sell the product to middlemen or local traders. These small traders sell the finished product to exporters in Calcutta. This chain also discourage the traditional cultivators because its financially taxing,? Rastogi.

Shiv Kumar Jaiswal, who is running the Shree Ganesh Shellac factory at Chakradharpur in West Singhbhum, said the Ho - dominant district possessed the larger number of traditional growers.

?But their seasonal activities of lac collection have been dwindling,? Jaiswal said.

He said the constant deforestation and fluctuation of international market have discouraged the traditional cultivation of lac cultivation in Kolhan.

?There is deforestation of forest in West Singhbhum. Many trees have been raised to the ground. Lac producing trees, too, were cut off,? he added.

Like Rastogi, Jaiswal feels that the large presence of middle-men were discouraging the small-time farmers.

He said various forest divisions of West Singhbhum-Kolhan, Porahat, Chaibasa (South) and Saranda have been the principal segments of lac cultivation.

?But these days few traditional farmers are associated with lac farming. A few years ago, the natives used to sell tones of raw lac at the village market. These days their statistics have come down,? Jaiswal said.

Talking about the availability of lac in West Singhbhum, the factory owner, said the quantity of lac pouring into the market is insufficient.

?The district based traders prefer to buy lac from the village haat (market). But the limited number of sellers sits in market. Then we are forced to purchase it from other central states market. There is no other way,? Jaiswal said.

Anupam Rana