Lac is a valuable forest produce of insect origin. Lac insect is reared by the mostly tribal community living in forest or forest fringe villages. The villagers are use to cultivate lac on Palas (Butea monosperma), Kusum (Schleichera oleosa) and Ber (Zizyphus mauritiana), but the management of these host plants are not so easy due to their bigger character and crown expanse. Additionally, women are unable to perform silvicultural and lac management practices on these heavy shape host plants. To change the tradition of lac cultivation a short height lac host plant namely Flemingia sp. has been introduced which is easy to propagate, and manage for kusmi lac cultivation even by women and children also. Thus, with special emphasis of Dr. V.K.Bahuguna, DG, ICFRE, to improve the rural livelihood of forest fringe villagers of all over the country, lac cultivation on Flemingia sp. has been incorporated in “DIRECT TO CONSUMER” scheme of ICFRE.
