Cross Boarder Trading of Kendu Leaf in Odisha

Kendu Leaf is the most important, commercially viable nationalized non timber forest product of Odisha used as wrapper for bidi. A comparison between the prices offered to the KL pluckers in the neighboring states of A.P., Bihar, M.P. and West Bengal shows that Odissa offers the lowest price for kendu leaves to its KL pluckers; while the KL produced in the State are of superior quality. In this context, the objectives of the paper are to analyze the price policy and marketing channels of Kendu Leaf in Odisha and West Bengal in India. The study also focuses on cross boarder trading of kendu leaf from Odisha to west Bengal. The study is based on primary collected from 472 kendu leaf pluckers in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha and West Medinapore district of West Bengal. Procurement price of Kendu Leaf per Kerry in Odisha in 2013 is only 0.60 paisa but it is 0.75 paisa in West Bengal. Procurement Price is arbitrarily fixed by Government of Odisha & it does not changes frequently. 90 percent pluckers of Kendu Leaf are female and the average income from kendu leaf per day is only Rs 129/-.There is urgent need for revision of Kendu Leaf price every year to increase tribal welfare and government revenue.