Rayagada: The tribal-dominated Rayagada district has a special identity owing to the availability of Mahua flowers as the minor forest produce (MFP) is found in the district in abundance. However, tribals are being taken for a ride due to a lack of government control on Mahua flower procurement in the district. They are being lured and tricked by the middlemen to sell off their Mahua flower stocks at throwaway prices due to lack of formal marketing facilities, adherence to MSP and storage facilities. The government has fixed the minimum support price (MSP) for Mahua flowers at `29 per kg and enlisted seven districts for Mahua collection and procurement.
On the other hand, the state owned Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation (TDCC) is yet to enlist Mahua flowers on its list of MFPs leading to distress sale of the forest produce by the gullible tribals. It is alleged that the traders are engaging middlemen and procuring the Mahua stocks from the tribals from their doorsteps at throwaway prices. This year Mahua flowers have bloomed in abundance in all the tribal dominated districts of Odisha. Accordingly, the tribals expect a bumper harvest of the forest produce in the district. However, as TDCC has not enlisted Mahua as an MFP, the fear of another round of distress sales now haunts the tribals. As a result, hundreds of tribals engaged in Mahua collection live in fear of losing their livelihood.
Meanwhile, tribals in the district’s villages have started collection of Mahua flowers which are sold at prices ranging from Rs 30 to Rs 35 per kg by the traders at the local market. However, traders and middlemen pressurising the tribals to reduce the price of Mahua has concerned the gullible tribals. According to a survey conducted by the state Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) department, Mohua flowers are produced in around 10 districts of the state. Rayagada, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Mayurbhanj, Deogarh and Sambalpur districts produce a bumper harvest.
However, the earnings of the tribals are estimated at 95.45 per cent in the Bolangir district while it is only 60.23 per cent in Nuapada district. The majority of earnings of the tribals and members of the Dalit community from minor forest produce comes from Mahua collection. Every year around 20 quintal of Mahua are collected in the state while the tribal collectors earn on an average around Rs 20 per kg from its sale. The food products manufactured from Mahua are sold for around Rs 140 to Rs 160 per kg. Mahua is also used in the preparation of liquor and has now been included in the food security list.
Recently, the state government has launched efforts to market Mahua-based products in the national level through the preparation of jam, jelly cookies, halwa, gulab jamun, cake and chocolates using flowers.
Meanwhile, efforts are on to also prepare hand sanitisers and floor cleaning liquids from Mahua. When contacted, executive officer of Rayagada Zilla Parishad Nihar Ranjan Kanhar said the state government has directed the Local Area Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPS) to oversee the collection and fix the price of Mahua flowers. However, a probe will be conducted into the allegation of distress sale of Mahua flowers and steps will be taken in this regard, he said.