Profit Enhancement of Rice-based Production System through Lac Enterprise

Jharkhand agriculture a rainfed one characterized with ninety percent cultivable area monocropped with rice only. On one hand there is need to enhance productivity of agricultural crop, other hand priority should be given for profit enhancement. Lac is a major source of rural livelihood in Jharkhand. Major lac host species like Butea monosperma (palash), Zizyphus mauritiana (ber) and Schleichera oleosa (kusum)are available in plenty in forest as well as on own gravel upland which is otherwise not under cultivation and are wasteland. Diversifying the existing agriculture system through inclusion o lac not only enhances the profit margin of the production system but also developed entrepreneurial behavior of the main actor of the system. In this background lac cultivation interventions was introduced in rice based monocropping system. Inclusion of Lac on abandoned tree of Butea monosperma and Zizyphus mauritiana fetch good economic return to the farm families with net return of Rs. 25090 per hectare and Rs. 7480/ha respectively from kusumi lac on and rangeeni lac, whereas in upland rice net return was only Rs. 3804/ha. The benefit per rupee of investment is lowest in case of growing only rice with Rs. 2.08 and maximum benefit was Rs. 5.14 in case of lac on ber. Lac cultivation on different host trees were compaered and it was found that benefit per rupee of investment were Rs. 3.59, 4.83, and 2.41. and 2.08 respectively in rice with lac cultivation of rangeeni on palash, rice with kusumi lac on ber, rice with lac on palash and ber in alternate season and cultivation of only rice crop. Organizing Lac cooperative and input bank at kisan club proved a pivot in better management of produce and ensuring local availability of brood lac.