marketing of mahua (madhuca longifolia · engage in brewing. in a village of 60-70 households,...

Marketing of Mahua (Madhuca longifolia) A study on Marketing of Mahua in Chhattisgarh

�1MARKETING OF MAHUA- KUSHAGRA MESHRAM

by Kushagra Meshram !

Introduction"NWFP in India:" India has about 16000 recorded plant species. Of these 3000 yield minor forest produces(MFPs). 55 per cent of the employment in the forestry sector is attributed to NWFP sub sector. NWFP based small scale enterprises account for upto 50 pc of income for 20-30 per cent of rural labour force in India. Over 50 pc of the revenues earned by the state forest departments comes from MFPs and the growth in revenues from MFPs is 40 pc higher than timber. MFPs constitute 56-75 pc of the total export of forest products. Mahua flower is one of the top five minor forest produces in the country.!

Mahua: " Madhuca longifolia, commonly known as mahua, is a tropical tree found largely in the central and north Indian plains and forests. It is a fast growing tree that grows to approximately 20 meters in height, possesses evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage. It is

adapted to arid environments, being a prominent tree in tropical mixed deciduous forests in India in the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat and Orissa. Outside India, it is found in Sri Lanka and doubtfully in Myanmar(Burma).! It is cultivated in warm and humid regions for its oleaginous seeds, flowers and wood. The oil(solid at ambient temperature) extracted from its seeds is used for the care of the skin, to manufacture soap or detergents, and as a vegetable butter. It can also be used as a fuel oil. The product is often used in sweets and chocolates. The seed cakes obtained after extraction of oil constitute very good fertilizer. The flowers are used to produce an alcoholic drink. Several parts of the tree, including the bark, are used for their medicinal properties. It is considered holy by many tribal communities because of its usefulness.!characteristics Madhuca longifolia

habit A large, evergreen tree

stem Short, 3.6 meters, with a dense, spreading crown.

bark Yellowish grey to dark brown-red and milky inside, scaly.

characteristics


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Importance:" !Apart from providing cash income, it also plays a role in food security. Mahua tree is a family jewel which is passed on from one generation to the other; but is never sold. The cream coloured corollas of the flower of the tree are commercially known as Mahua or mohwa flower. Phosphorous, calcium, iron, magnesium and copper are present in small quantities.it is a rich source of sugar and protein. Current uses of this product in various parts of the country are!! •! Food in raw and cooked form, Mahua pitha and mudhi ! •! Conversion to alcoholic beverage ! •! Cattle feed Mahua flowers are also considered good for cooling, and are used as a tonic and demulcent. However an estimated 90 per cent of the production goes into brewing beverages.!Seventy five per cent of the tribal households in our country are engaged in Mahua flower collection meaning a population of around 7.5 million is into this livelihood activity. Various studies indicate that a household gets between Rs 2500-5000 in a normal Mahua year. An estimate says that 28600 person years of employment are generated in mahua flower collection every year(FGLG India, 2008). But the income for the primary collectors/processors in this transaction is very low. This is often attributed to an unorganized market and little access of the primary collectors to the market. Another feature of this sub sector is that the producers and the consumers are essentially the same group of people, the tribals.!"""""

leaf Clustered near the apex, linear lanceolate, tapering towards the base, glabrous when mature.

flower Pale yellow, many small, with rusty, pubescent calyx and fleshy corolla, aromatic, in dense clusters near the ends of the branches.

fruit Ovoid, 5 cm long, 1-2 seeded berry, yellow when ripe.

seed Compressed, yellow or light brown, shining, smooth.

Madhuca longifoliacharacteristics


Processing of Mahua :"It has a great role in tribal economy and marketing.!There are three distinct and marked phases of flower dropping.!• Shuru – this lasts for 5-6 days. During this period, flowers that are collected possess a shrunken appearance. On drying, flowers collected during the phase yield 25% by weight of total collected produce.!• Bharwari – this stage follows shuru period, and lasts around a week. The qualities of flowers that drop during this period are highest, with yields going up to 50% post drying. They possess a bold and succulent appearance.!• Kanwa – last stage of flower dropping, they indicate end of collection period. The flowers of this stage bear resemblance to that of flowers at initial stage in appearance as well as in yield.!

Collection:" Business Includes collection that may be by hired tribes @ 10-20/- INR or voluntarily seeking extra income by selling it. !

The collected mahua is then kept for sun drying for 3-4 days on the roof top, in the open area inside the house or in the front yard depending upon the sunlight. Sun drying may be followed by shade drying before it is finally stored or disposed off. Each day’s collections are dried separately so that there is no moisture transfer from one lot to

age in years productivity in kgs

10 10

20 30

30 60

40 90

50 135

60 140


another. Cloudy weather at times poses a great problem with the mahua flower not being dried properly. It looses its colour and turns black and also prone to insect infestation. Large amounts of Mahua are then kept in bigger basket which is locally known as kadagi.! ! Processing of Mahua occurs at three levels:!! •! Drying: collectors dry the flowers before they sell •! Stocking: traders stock in cold storages •! Brewing: brewing of liquours household/bhatti/large brewer level!" Drying is done immediately after collection. It is rarely observed that the flower is sold without drying. Hence this is generally put as part of production sub-system.!Stocking, technically, is not a processing activity. However, in the case of Mahua it has a special connotation. In order to retain its colour and quality Mahua is put in cold storage. Generally this is done by the large traders and wholesalers.!The most important processing done with mahua flower is brewing. For household use, the tribal brew it at home. However commercially it is undertaken by Bhattis or large scale brewers.! Processing of Mahua flower into brew Large scale brewing by licensed bhattis is not permitted in Chhattisgarh. Hence brewing is a household industry in the tribal belt of the state. However every household does not engage in brewing. In a village of 60-70 households, barely 5-7 households are engaged in this activity.!The process!Mahua flowers are put in earthen pots filled with water two days before it goes into brewing. After the bubbles are seen on the top of the pot, that pot of flowers is fit for further processing in the furnace and transferred to the brewing brass pot on the bottom. The brewing room has a hearth/furnace with three pots put on one another (see photograph below). The bucket placed near the furnace is connected to the brew pot with a pipe. The process often takes five to six hours. The skills of brew making are primarily with the women. Often as a business woman, they protect the brew from the male members of their households so that they get the returns expected. They lock the brewing room if they go out for some other work.!"""""""


Marketing:""Marketing of Mahua occurs at two levels:!! •! Direct selling by collectors to Kuchias or to haat traders ! •! Bulk selling by Kuchia / haat traders to wholesellers who in turn sell it to brewers or retailers – at this level it involves cold storage too. Mahua though changes hands, but does not change form. But there are many players who make or loose money in the business. A tribe called “kuchia” is associated with Mahua trade. They visit villages in their bicycles ready with their kit of weighing instruments !

and packing bags. They follow a definite cycle for visiting different villages in the demarcated catchment. Catchment areas of kuchias are defined and generally respected. Haat days collections are generally brought to the haat by women. Kuchias and also traders put up their kantas (weighing scale) in the haat. Certain amount of Mahua flower is also sold at the village kirana shop against

requirements of daily provisions.!Then the Mahua is divided into two parts. A part is retained at the haat trader level and another part is transferred to the wholesalers of Jagdalpur and Raipur. From Raipur Mahua is transported to many parts of the country. They include Tata and Ranchi in Jharkhand, Udaipur and Banswada in Rajasthan, Godhra of Gujurat. Here the brokers and commission agents come into the picture. They put up a shop at a vantage point, collect and provide market information and keep samples of various quality produces. They charge a fee of around 0.5 pc of the transaction.!Chhattisgarh is both an exporter and importer of mahua depending on production and demand cycles. Hence Chhattisgarh also gets Mahua especially from Lalitpur and Allahabad. The players again repeat their roles.!A retail market has come up in Jagdalpur. Around 25 shops are there exclusively selling Mahua. Retailers get their suppliers from large traders and sell it keeping a margin. !"""""


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It is almost impossible to get reliable data on margins at various levels. However discussions with various players have yielded some insights.!! •! Kuchias’ margins vary from 8-12 per cent ! •! Haat traders’ margins vary between 14-20 per cent !! •! Retailers keep a margin of 8-10 per cent ! •! Commission agents charge a brokerage of 1 pc ! •! Wholesalers margin is at 8 pc ! •! Haat retailers get a margin of 5-7 pc

"Cold storage, transportation and packing materials are the three main supporting industries considered critical for the vibrant functioning of the mahua sub sector. An analysis of the data reveals that on an average 25 pc cold storage space is utilized for stocking Mahua flower. In Jagdalpur, Mahua flower is one of the top three items in cold storage. The cold storage industry has come up reasonably well in Chhattisgarh. A liberalized policy regime coupled with incentives in the form of capital and interest subsidy has helped this industry acquire its present shape and scale. No trader has complained of lack of space. The Table indicates that there are 44 private cold storages in various towns of Chhattisgarh. Cost of putting up a 2000 metric tonnes capacity cold storage comes to Rs.14 million. Similarly the cost for a 5000 metric tones capacity unit comes to Rs27 million and 10000 metric tones unit costs Rs40 million.!"


"Market Status:" Almost ninety per cent of the Mahua flower is used for making brews. Hence tribals who collect and produce are also the ultimate consumers. In the case of Chhattisgarh, tribals are the only legal processors. But what is important is that every other player in chain is expected to contribute to keeping the form intact including colour and texture. Change of form is not desired. Every tribal household sells the collection during the collection season and purchases it round the year. But they do not have the capacity and wherewithal to store the annual requirements. Those having storage capacity or access to storage facility are the gainers in this game. In our context availability of modern storage facility or even a modest godown is limited to urban places. The state owned warehouses primarily caters to agricultural produces.! To quote a premier Mahua trader, production of Mahua flower may vary between two to four lakh tonnes. However comparing the national production data, it may be an over estimation. But it speaks of the variations. Similarly price varies between Rs 12 to 24 in the retail market. Production in neighbouring states especially Orissa also influences prices. But these swings are not always in favour of the primary producers. These fluctuations in production and prices make availability of storage facility/infrastructure in an accessible place and at affordable cost a critical constraint.! Currently Chhattisgarh does not allow large scale mechanized brewing. This may be a constraint in tapping the external market, both national and international, where stringent standards in manufacturing processes are expected to be followed.!""The Environmental Context:"The process of collection of Mahua flower often is considered environmentally hazardous. Collection from forest areas often involve burning of forest floor which is cited as one of the important reasons of forest fire. Burning limits the bio diversity of the area by destroying the seeds and seedlings. Second, over exploitation of flower is leading to depletion of Mahua resource.!Harvesting protocols have been prepared and are being suggested as an answer to these concerns. But in the absence of concerted efforts and coordinated campaign to educate the primary collectors, these protocols have limited ground level impacts.!With no plan and significant investments for increasing the Mahua tree population, Mahua may not remain a lucrative livelihood option in the long run.!"""


marketing of mahua (madhuca longifolia · engage in brewing. in a village of 60-70 households,...

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