For the first time, the cultivation of lacquer, which is used to seal letters or government documents, to put on weapons, to fill jewelry, etc., has been expanded in Banke. Laha imported from India has been expanded for the first time in Nepal.
Division Forest Office, Banke has expanded laha cultivation with the participation of a team of experts. The Laha worm (embryo) which produces Laha on the branch of the tree after bringing the agricultural seeds has been released.
The Division Forest Office has started cultivation in Srijan Community Forest located in Kohalpur-12. 25 kg of seeds have been planted in the forest consumer group. Similarly, cultivation has been expanded in Jalandhara and Jhijiri women's community forest user groups of Raptisonari Rural Municipality.
Dammar Bishwakarma, an expert who has been cultivating laha for 25 years, said that a parasite that completes its life cycle by sucking the sap of that branch by clinging to the soft branch of a special tree is called laha.
Vishwakarma said that the raw material of Laha is sold up to 1000 rupees per kg. He says that after processing, it will be sold for up to 2,000 per kg. Lacquer is especially used in furniture factories, jewelery shops and other various works.
'Laha Kira obtains its own food by sucking the sap of the plant. It is easy to cultivate as it does not require much suffering. If the production from the tested trees is good, there is a plan to expand further,” said expert Vishwakarma. Expert Vishwakarma said that the body of the female insect changes after the production of laha.
It sucks copious sap from branches and builds its nest to lay eggs. A type of gum or a soft substance, called laha, is released from the body of the female. A cock can't make it. Monsoon rains and temperatures ranging from 15 degrees Celsius to 40/45 degrees Celsius are considered good for laha production,” Vishwakarma said. He says that its cultivation is suitable in Nepal from the point of view of the environment.
Laha cultivation has been started with the aim of making community forests and consumers of the district income-generating. Laha cultivation has been started under the protection of trees such as khair and bayar found in Terai region.
According to Manoj Sharma, senior forest officer of Shamsherganj Sub Division Office, Overi, 51 people from the community forest user group participated in the training organized for Laha cultivation expansion and capacity development on Wednesday for the first time in the district. Laha farming will play a role in the protection of trees such as khair and bayar found in Terai region.
According to Shankar Prasad Gupta, Senior Divisional Forest Officer, Divisional Forest Office, Banke, the cultivation has been started for expansion in Banke after the successful use of other areas. He said that one can become self-sufficient by commercial cultivation of laha.
"If the experiment in Kohalpur is successful, we will expand it to the whole district," said Gupta, "There is a lot of potential for Laha cultivation in the forests of the district." Since the branch cannot be cut after applying the lacquer, it will also help in the protection of the forest.'
Suman Paudel, chairman of Srijan Community Forest Consumer Committee, said that he believes that Laha farming will help to improve the income level of the committee. You can become self-sufficient if you can produce bark on the branches of the plants in the community forest. According to him, lacquer is used in furniture color, jewelry, make-up, shoe polish, nail polish, capsules, tablets, electric bulbs, lacquer prints, weapons, etc.
