CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Premise 2 1.1.1 Minor Forest Produces and their socio economic importance to local rural people 2 1.1.2 Harvesting Minor Forest Produces and its impact on Forest Ecology: 3 1.1.3 Hard Work and poor returns - the misery of Rural Poor 3 1.2 Aims and Objectives 3 1.3 Methodology 4 2 Tendu Patta and Bidi Industry in India 5 2.1 The bread winner MFP - Tendu patta 6 2.2 History of Bidi Industry in India 6 2.3 Important links of Bidi Industry 8 2.4 Bidi Industry - A Cottage Industry 10 2.5 Socio-Economic Analysis of Bidi Industry 11 2.6 The Sunset Industry 13 2.7 Facts and Figures to check trends in Bidi Industry 14 3 Tendu Leaves Collection Trade System 17 3.1 Nationalization of Tendu leaves in 1960s – 1970s 17 3.2 Tendu Leaves Trade in Maharashtra 18 4 Tendu, Diospyros melanoxylon 19 4.1 Habit 20 4.2 Ecology 20 4.3 Physical Characteristics 21 4.4 Reproductive biology 21 4.5 Propagation and management 21 4.6 Natural Regeneration 22 4.7 Distribution 22 4.8 Uses 22 5 Tendu leaves collection process 25 5.1 Terms Used 25 5.2 Coppicing/ Pruning 25 5.3 Harvesting of Tendu leaves 28 5.4 Drying and Packing of Tendu leaves at Phadi (Collection Center) 28 5.5 Storage in Godowns 29 5.6 Tender Clauses to curb malpractice in Leaves Collection Process 29 6 The Study Region 32 6.1 Selection criteria for study region 32 6.2 Relevance of the region for the study 32 6.3 Introduction to the Study Region 33 6.3.1 Geographical Position: 33 6.3.2 Climate 33 6.3.3 Topography (Refer sheet no. 5) 34 6.3.4 Geology (Refer sheet no. 6) 34 6.3.5 Soils (Refer Sheet no.6) 35 6.3.6 Surface Hydrology (Refer Sheet no.6) 35 6.3.7 Land use (Refer Sheet no.7) 35 6.3.8 Economy 36 6.4 Forest in the study region 37 6.4.1 Forest character 37 6.4.2 Value of Forest 38 6.4.3 Role of Forest in the economy of the Region 41 7 Issues – tendu leaf collection 42 7.1 Disappearing Mature Tendu trees and fruits 42 7.2 Illegal Kindling of fire 42 7.3 Wastage of leaves 42 7.4 Child Labour 42 7.5 Poor wages 42 8 Proposal 48 8.1 Strategy for Forest Conservation and Economic Development 48 8.2 Economic Feasibility of Tendu plantation on scrub land 49 8.3 Strategy for Tendu Plantation on Scrub land 52 8.4 Planting scheme 55 8.5 Silvicultural Practice for Tendu plantation 56 Annexure 58 1 Pruning in Diospyros melanoxylon 59 2 Effects of Pollarding and Coppicing on the leaves of Diospyros melanoxylon 60 3 Pollarding in Diospyros melanoxylon 61 4 Natural regeneration in Diopsyros melanoxylon 62 5 Vegetative propagation in Diospyros melanoxylon 63