Lac farming will be accorded the status of agriculture in Chhattisgarh. In a bid to make lac farming a profitable endeavour for farmers, Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel, gave his consent to Forest department’s proposal to include lac farming in agriculture.While giving his assent, Chief Minister instructed Agriculture, Forest and Cooperative departments to present a proposal with mutual coordination in the next meeting of the council-of-ministers to include lac and other such profit-yielding produce in agriculture. Once lac farming gets the status of agriculture in the state, farmers associated with lac production would also be able to avail easy loan via co-operative committees like other farmers.
It is also worth mentioning here that Chhattisgarh has boundless opportunities for lac farming. Lac cultivation is being practiced in the state by the farmers in Kusum, Palash and Berry trees in a traditional manner. But due to lack of modern and systematic way of farming, farmers fail to derive the expected profit in return of their investments. In a move to make lac cultivation profitable for farmers, Forest department while suggesting the Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel to include lac farming under agriculture and provide opportunities to Lac growing farmers to avail loans through agricultural cooperative committees like other farmers, had requested him to accept the proposal sent in this regard. Chief Minister Shri Baghel gave his consent to this proposal of the Forest department. And also directed Agriculture, Forest and Cooperative departments to present, with mutual coordination, a proposal to include lac cultivation or any other such produce, which has to be included in agricultural activities, in the next meeting of the council-of-ministers.
