Madhuca indica: Services for Tribal Peoples of Chhattisgarh

The Genus Madhuca (Family., Sapotaceae), commonly known as Mahua, comprises of economically important plants is represented by five different species in India , out of which Madhuca indica and Madhuca longifolia are closely related and very common in India. Madhuca indica is commonly found in the central India whereas; Madhuca longifolia is mostly in the south India i.e., Tamilnadu, Karnataka, AP, MP, Chhattisgarh and some part of Maharashtra state. The flowers of Madhuca indica tree are having exceptionally sugar rich (68-72%) and are produced in the lean season of agriculture i.e., March-May when there is paucity of income generation in the tribal belt of Chhattisgarh. The flowers are collected by the tribal people and sold at a very low price to the middlemen or exchange in barter system. The flowers are nutritious containing a number of vitamins and amino acids and the sugars identified in the flower. Therefore, value addition to these flowers at the local level for production of high value nutritious food, will help the people to get direct benefit from their produces and also help in increasing the employment generation and nutritional status. Other than flowers its seeds, leaves and other parts of tree are important for various services to human being. The present paper gives a detailed account of the flower collection, processing, marketing, storage and traditional uses by tribes of Bastar region of Chhattisgarh state. This species is most notably known for traditionally fermented flowers to make liquor, which is made by the low cost household in tribal areas for their sustenance. Conclusively, this tree has great potential for economic upliftment of the tribal people residing in the forest or the adjoining areas and needs to be propagated and managed to benefit these people.