- Among the lac-growing states in India, Jharkhand ranks first. However, labour migration and climate impacts have led to a decline in lac production.
- The Semialata plant is emerging as a good host plant for lac insects as more farmers, especially women, prefer it for its easy maintenance.
- However, Jharkhand’s lac production still faces the brunt of rising temperatures and irregular rainfall.
In the Manika block of Latehar distrcit, Jharkhand, Sheela Oraon is removing and loosening the soil around small Semialata plants in her field. Nearby, her daughter Reena is shapes the soil around another plant, into a circle. Sheela describes the Semialata plant as the one with leaves smaller than the banana plant but slightly longer than the leaves of the kelva flower plant.
Semialata (Flemingia semialata) is emerging as a good source of income for the farmers in many districts of the state because lac insects (of the family Kerriidae) growing on these plants produce a good quantity of lac, a waxy resin that is harvested and commercially used in many types of industries. It is used to make shellac, wooden sticks, polishing furniture, colouring toys and even for filling gaps in gold and silver jewellery. It is also used in the production of nail polish, boot polish, hair dye, perfume, medicine, electrical goods and many other items such as perfumes and medicinal pill coating.
Lac insects typically grow on wild trees such as safflower, palash (Butea monosperma) and ber (Ziziphus mauritiana), but in the past few years, these trees have been impacted by changing weather. It is also difficult to maintain them as they grow really tall.
India’s lac production
India leads the world in lac production with about 20,000 tonnes produced every year. About 65% of the lac produced is exported to other countries.
Among the lac-growing states in India, Jharkhand ranks first (54.60%), followed by Chhattisgarh (18.37%), Madhya Pradesh (13.03%), West Bengal (5.57%), Maharashtra (4.50%) and Odisha (3.55%). These six states contribute more than 99% of the total lac production in India.
The total lac production in the year 2019-20 has increased by about 3.28% as compared to the average production from 1971 to 2020.
Impact of migration on lac production
Jharkhand’s Latehar district, earlier a sub-division of Palamu district, was once a top producer of lac in the state. However, the production started declining since 2010.
Jayanti Ganjhu, a lac farmer, told Mongabay India that migration is one of the key reasons for the decline in lac cultivation. She explains that it takes around four months for lac to mature, after which the branches are cut. Safflower trees, being large, can yield up to two quintals of lac. Ber and palash trees, which are smaller than safflower but can grow up to 15 meters (about 50 feet) tall, produce 20 to 25 kilograms per tree. However, these trees require regular maintenance and pruning, as new leaves — essential for lac worms to feed on — only emerge after cutting.
“The height of these trees makes it difficult for us women to climb them, and now that many men from the village migrate for work, there is no one left to cut and prune the trees,” Jayanti says.
Another farmer, Geeta Oraon, also agrees with Jayanti and adds, “We are also not able to spray medicines on tall trees. Lac insects develop fungus due to the heat and then, if insecticide is not sprayed, the insects die. In such a situation, smaller Semialata plants are easier to maintain for us.”
Jayanti has been cultivating lac for the last two years. “Women associated with self-help groups have been given training for lac production. After this, they are also given lac seeds for free. After many years, we gathered the courage and started lac cultivation. Now, after four months, our group earned Rs. 67,000,” she says.
Suraj Singh from the Forest Productivity Institute in Latehar, who looks after the lac projects points to the lac farm in the Institute and says, “In this farm spread over about two and a quarter hectare, we work on increasing the quality and production of lac production. Recently, we planted lac insects on safflower and berry trees but the insects died before they could produce their resin.” Showing the safflower tree, he says, “We had sown lac seeds on these plants two-three times but those seeds could not grow. The rising heat has wreaked havoc on safflower lac production.”
Close by, Mukund Ganjhu from Chiro village, is busy planting Semialata among the different trees and plants planted for research purposes in the farm. He says, “The farmers of my village and Latehar district no longer want to grow lac.” Recalling earlier times, he shares that there was a time when more than 22 commission agents used to buy lac in Latehar alone. Farmers would sell their lac in small quantities to these agents, who take a commission and forward the product to farmer producer organisations (FPOs).
Why is Semialata special?
The Semialata plant grows up to a maximum of seven feet and is alive for about 10 years. Once its branches are cut for lac, it comes out again and is ready for the next cultivation. Due to its smaller size compared to ber and safflower, the Semialata is convenient to take care of it, spray medicine and apply lac seeds on. Women farmers are also able to do this work easily. About five to six kilograms of lac is obtained from each plant.
These plants are suitable for lac production due to the structure of their branches and leaves. They provide nutrition and protection to lac insects, thereby improving their growth and lac production.
Lac production on Semialata is more and of higher quality compared to other plants. This plant can be grown even in poor soil, where there are no other crops. Besides, it is also helpful in increasing the fertility of the soil.
Read more: Indigenous knowledge of Jharkhand’s forest greens need preserving
Effect of climate change
While Semialata is a good alternative to increase lac production, the industry is not protected from the challenges of the changing climate. Research conducted by a team of scientists from the Ranchi-based Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums (IINRG) has linked declining lac production in Jharkhand and West Bengal to changing temperatures and rainfall patterns. For this study, the director of the institute, R. Ramani, analysed daily temperature and rainfall data from 1984 to 2012. They found that the pre-winter and summer months are becoming increasingly warmer, while the post-winter months are becoming colder than before. An increase of up to 1.7°C in the maximum temperature and a decrease of up to 0.5°C in the minimum temperature was recorded in August. In his report, Ramani says that the change in temperature during the rainy months of August and September is very important because these months are important for the pre-breeding and breeding of lac insects.
He says that an increase in temperature increases the mortality rate of lac insects. Studies also show that due to rising temperatures, it is possible that insects may become victims of various diseases. Ramani also points out that high temperatures affect the sex ratio of lac insects. “Studies have shown that high temperatures increase the number of males in moth insects. Since only females secrete lac, the reduction in their numbers adversely affects lac production,” he says.
According to another study published in 2022, Jharkhand recorded a positive growth rate of 9.85% in lac production during the Eleventh Five Year Plan, which decreased to -6.07% in the Twelfth Five Year Plan. District-wise percentage change in the average value of lac production during the Eleventh to Twelfth Plan showed that Ranchi-Khunti district recorded the highest increase with an increase of 134%, followed by Gumla (45%), Simdega (27%) and Singhbhum (27%). However, some districts saw a moderate decline and the highest decline was recorded in Latehar (-69%), followed by Garhwa (-68%) and Palamu (-3%). In Latehar, Garhwa and Palamu districts, increasing temperature and decreasing humidity have impacted lac production.
Scientist Aditya Kumar from the Forest Productivity Institute, Ranchi, says that lac insects can be reared on the safflower tree in both summer and winter seasons. The kusmi lac insects require a cool and humid climate and have a higher capacity for lac production compared to rangeeni lac insects. “Now due to heat the lacquer is not able to crystallise and the lacquer worms die even before the lacquer comes out. Now, lac production in Jharkhand is facing the brunt of rising temperatures, irregular rainfall and climate change,” says Kumar.
This story was reported by Mongabay’s Hindi team and first published here on our Mongabay Hindi site on February 24, 2025.
Banner image: Saplings of Semialta in a field in Jharkhand. Image by Adithya Kumar.
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