Planning for the development of rattan-based household industries: Case study of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal, India

Rattan is one of the important natural resources throughout almost all Asian tropical rain forests and homestead forests, which is extensively used in the household industries as raw material. A large number of rattan-based industrial units are found in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, India. The industrial units are located both in rural and urban areas. The craftsmen himself is the proprietor in each unit and is assisted by his own family. The skill is mainly hereditary. Due to wide prevalence of illiteracy and poverty they lack scientific and technical knowledge and as a result of these their techniques of production remains inferior and the products lack standardization. The products are mostly sold in the local market. Middlemen play a powerful role in marketing these indigenous products. The prevalence of outdated mode of production has hampered the growth and development of the sector. The study is based on 64 sample units collected through field survey covering 25 villages of the district. The purpose of the study is to find out the characteristic features of the rattan-based industries, problems of the sector and examine the structural relationship among variables related to the productivity of the industrial units. Multiple regression models have been developed to estimate the relevant structural equations and to interpret the co-efficient associated with different explanatory variables. Based on the observations and findings some policy measures have been suggested for the development of the sector.