Kendu Leaf Trade

Current Context: In the Baipariguda block of Koraput district, Odisha, eight Gram Sabhas have harvested over 4 lakh bundles of kendu leaves, awaiting government notification to deregulate the trade.

About:

• Kendu Leaf: Also known as Tendu leaf in other parts of India, referred to as the “Green Gold of Odisha.”
• Primary Use: Used for rolling tobacco into bidis (local cigarettes) and has medicinal value.
• Key Producer States: Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat.
• Legal Recognition under FRA (2006):
  • The Forest Rights Act (FRA) recognizes the rights of forest-dwelling communities to collect, use, and sell minor forest produce (MFP) like kendu leaves.
  • The 2012 amendment empowers communities to process, store, transport, and sell MFP without paying royalties or seeking permission.
  • Transit permits must be issued by the Community Forest Rights Management Committee (CFRMC), not forest officials.