CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, May 23: Mahua is a native cash crop of Jharkhand that provides a total of 4-6 months of livelihood to the rural people. Many tribals across Jharkhand store the mahua flower for over a year and sell it during the rainy season at a higher rate. It is usually sold at Rs. 40-50 per kg during May.
Vasavi Kiro, a social activist from Ranchi, has been making Mahua Laddus for the last few years and helping the rural women to make this profession a source of income for them.
She spoke to lagatar24.com and expressed her view on why the selling of mahua liquor in Jharkhand is considered an illegal task.
“Mahua should be used properly by the state government to use it for the economic development. It should be done in a planned way. I don’t understand why the government considers it to be illegal,” she said.
On the flip side, there is no policy regarding mahua in Jharkhand whereas it is one of the main forest produce. It is even grown in private lands, she added.
“We have been insisting the government do a value addition of the products made from mahua such as laddus and by-products. That is how it will be valued and added to the economic activities,” Kiro added.
There are around 25 different products that are made from the Mahua plant but the most demanded ones are Laddus, Achaar and Jellies. The women who are making these products are not getting any benefits, such as subsidies, from the government. These are the same women who used to sell Mahua liquor earlier.
Kiro had also suggested that government should set up factories for the production of wine and beer from Mahua.
“Setting up factories and providing licenses will help in the economic development of the state and will also generate employment in the rural parts of the state,” she said.
