Palamu Mahua Forest Economy Tribal Jharkhand

Mahua (Madhuca longifolia) is the economic and cultural anchor of Palamu district's tribal forest economy, with the flowering season in April drawing entire communities to the forest floor before dawn to collect the sweet fleshy flowers before forest birds consume them. Palamu tribal households store dried mahua in large bamboo baskets for fermentation into liquor consumed at festivals, for making mahua ladoo sweets eaten at Karma and Sohrae festivals, and for sale to NTFP traders. The Jharkhand Forest Corporation's minimum support price for mahua flowers provides Palamu tribals with a government price floor that prevents distress selling to private traders at one-fifth of the fair price.