Resin Harvest and Trade

A VIEW FROM NILGIRI BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Snehlata Nath

INTRODUCTION

Keystone has been working on resins as an NTFP for the past 15 years. A number of programmes have been undertaken with surveys conducted in the ecological harvesting and market aspects of resins. The resin in focus has been Canarium strictum, which is collected in large quantities in some areas of the NBR – mainly Nilambur and Coonoor. Keystone has also conducted training programmes on sustainable harvesting methods and discussed different kinds of quality accepted in the market. In 2005-06, two workshops on Gums and Resins were organized in Nilambur, Kerala and Karjat, Maharashtra. These opened up many issues regarding harvesting methods, trade and quality from a wider perspective. Besides resins, the workshops covered gums of Anogeissus latifolia, Boswellia serratus and Pterocarpus marsupium, etc., collected only in small quantities in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), mainly for minor trade and self consumption.

Ecology of Resin Tapping

Commercially traded resins – as well as many gums and latexes – are harvested by tapping the bark. The canals of the bark and wood containing the resin and latex are damaged in the process; in the case of gums the ducts maybe formed only after the bark is slashed. There may be an opportunity to tap trees periodically by making cuts in the bark but only long-term monitoring of the population will tell us whether this is sustainable. Tapped plants may be paying a higher physiological price when exudates are removed, affecting growth and flowering. However, the production of gums is attributed to the attack by a fungi, the presence of certain bacteria, or normal metabolic functions. Despite much research on the composition andthe process of exudates-production, much remains to be understood on the effects on the population.

Keystone’s studies[tooltip content=”Ecology and Society 13(2): 11/ www.ecologyandsociety.org/ vol13/iss2/art11/ Titled: Regional variations in Non Timber Forest Produce Harvest strategies, trade and Ecological Impacts: The case of Black Dammer (Canarium Strictum, Roxb) Use and Conservation in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Authors; Anita Varghese and Tamara Ticktin” url=”” ]Ref: 1[/tooltip] have revealed that resin-tree populations in forest areas were dependent on the methods of collection. From collecting resin from natural fissures to setting low fires to make trees exude more resin, there are different practices followed by indigenous communities across the NBR. Though it is not certain that low populations are due only to specific harvesting techniques, the following results emerged.

• Kotagiri populations were clumped. Therefore a good sample was obtained in a 1ha plot. The resin was harvested by tapping.
• Coonoor populations were scattered except the one which was sampled. Harvest of resin is done without tapping; collections of exudes were from natural fissures.
• In both the areas C.strictum trees were found along streams and in semi evergreen forests.
• Nilambur populations were scattered and hardly any seedlings were found in 20mX20m plots. Resin is harvested using fire and tapping.
• In all 3 areas there seemed to be a system of traditional tenures for the trees.
•  Comparing two populations in the Nilambur region, healthier populations were found where fire was used; this was especially so where tenure was (also) strictly adhered to. Other reasons for low populations are related to tenure, seedling mortality and environmental factors, the combined effect of which has made these trees vulnerable in the southern states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

THE PROBLEM TO BE TESTED

Given the vulnerable status of the species in the wild and the livelihood needs of the indigenous communities, value addition done at the community-level would help them understand better quality, better harvesting and fetch improved returns. The understanding of converting a rawresource into a marketable product will be necessary to ensure both sustainability and quality. The closer this is done to the harvesting communities, the higher the possibilities for success. A study was taken up with the objective of finding out the local uses, markets and conducting experiments to seek possibilities of local value addition of resins and develop eco-certified products.

Some of the findings and results of the study are discussed below.

Resins are solid or semi-solid materials, usually a complex mixture of organic compounds called terpenes, which are insoluble in water but soluble in certain organic solvents. Though they are very widely distributed in the plant kingdom a few families are notable in accounting for a large proportion of the resins which are traded (e.g. Leguminosae, Burseraceae and Pinaceae). Resins include three main chemical groups (resin ester, resin acids and resenes) and dissolve in organic solvents like alcohol, ether, vegetable oils, etc. (Gupta and Guleria, 1992)

USES OF RESINS (AND GUMS)

Resins are essentially used in the manufacture of paints. They are also used in balms, natural coatings, cosmetics and glue products. Traditional uses include torch wood and bamboo preservatives, in caulking boats and coffins, in food and food processing, decoration of temples, and in incense. Industrial requirement for resin are in varnish, natural lacquer, pharmaceutical use, food and food processing, wood-work, water proofing paper, ceramics (Gum Arabic), inks, coating additive, textiles, paints and adhesives.

Black Dammar (Dhoopa)

Black Dammar is obtained in large blocks (first collection), small pieces or as powder resin collected from the Dhoopa tree (Canarium Strictum). The identified uses are listed in the Table below. Black Dammar is usually grayish to dark brown in color.Dammar Batu (which forms nine-tenths of the imports) is yellowish to brown in color and comes in 3-4 cm sized pieces. This resin is used mostly for its binding properties.

MARKETS & TRADE

It is difficult to get disaggregated data on the different species of gums and resins. The following data gives an overview of the world market and the main importing and exporting countries. An estimate put the value of the world market for gums used as food additives at about US $ 10 billion in 1993, of which the two largest “forest” gums (gum arabic and locust bean) accounted for just over 12%; the remainder were mainly the seaweed gums, starches, gelatin and pectin (Naude, 1994). This takes no account of non-food uses of gums.

Indonesia, India and the People’s Republic of China are among the world’s major producers of gums and resins. Sudan and Indonesia are among the world’s major exporters of natural gums and resins.

Markets for Dhoopa in India

The trade of Dhoopa is characterized by monopoly rights (and sometimes restrictions on harvesting in Tamil Nadu) at the primary level and thus attracts illegal and non-transparent practices that seek to change the incentive structures. Trade regulations on the end use industry also make the market murky and with no standardization of quality.

Since Dammar collection is not allowed in Tamil Nadu, the data availability for this product is restricted to market data in Kerala. Over the 2004- 2008 period about 150 tons of Black Dammar was sold through auctions in Kerala. Reports of direct sales to agents in the Tamil Nadu border are also provided in literature (estimates of 15-20 tons annually at the best), even if traders in Madurai and Virudhnagar deny this.

Loban is the generic name for resin in Persian and, traditionally, resin was used to fumigate homes. Discussions with traders and manufacturers in Virudhnagar indicate that about 25-30 Loban manufacturing units function in Virudhnagar, with an estimated annual production capacity[tooltip content=”This is reported data. Need to get industry registration data for verifying this.” url=”” ]Ref: 2[/tooltip] of about 20,000 tons. This would (by a thumb rule of 20 percent Dammar use in one unit of good quality Loban) require about 4,000 tons of Dammar. Manufacturers have steadily increased imports of Dammar, as indicated in the Table (5) below. Due to competitive Dammar prices in the world market – the bulk of imports coming from Indonesia and Thailand – coupled with restrictions and low quality and unclean products from Kerala, has made the Virudhunagar loban industry turn to raw material from whole sale dealers in Chennai. Some modification of manufacturing procedures, such as an increase in the other ingredient rosin, has been made to suit the market.

The higher domestic prices for Dammar have resulted in the nearby industry complexes for matches and fireworks reporting a lesser demand (down by 50%) for Dammar during the last 2-3 years. The varnish industry has reportedly switched to using just ‘rosin’ in its composition for thinner and adding suitable powders for getting the right thickness demanded by the market.

Thus, the domestic share of Dammar use – which caters to goods in India – in the Loban industry is reportedly being substituted with imported Dammar Batu; while Black Dammar from India is being reserved for higher-value products such as Loban for export to Middle-east, Europe, etc. Also, the Dammar sourced from Kerala is enhanced in value by local-level screening and cleaning. For instance, a 60 kilogram bag of Dammar from Kerala has about 10% clean Dammar; the rest is a mixture of barks, stones and dust. Manual screening and cleaning of this (90%) gives about 50% price enhancement. Weight loss is worked out to be only 10 percent.

The incense or agarbatti industry reportedly produces about 4,200 million sticks annually (20 percent of this production is in the organized sector) and is estimated to use about 1,100 – 1,200 tons of gum Dammar as the binding agent in the production. Quality conscious or high value agarbatti-makers prefer Indian Dammar due to its quality and smell. Imported Dammar lacks this flavor which becomes a sticky issue with quality conscious brand builders.

The boat-building and maintenance industry in Kerala use gum Dammar in treating the wooden parts of the boats and in caulking, to increase the water-resistant properties. The estimated use of Dammar gum by this industry in Kerala is about 50-60 tons per year. Secondary data on boat building and maintenance in other coastal states would be needed to clarify this and estimate the amount of national use.

Thus, the domestic share of Dammar use is major (nearly 60%) in the incense industry – includingagarbatti, loban/jos sticks, etc. – and is estimated to be 18,000 million tons annually (ITC Data). The Virudhnagar producers are the major procurers of Dammar from the Indian trade and the importers; smaller use sectors depend on the Virudhnagar manufacturers to procure Dammar.

Traders mention that Indian Dammar is characterized by contamination, while the imported Dammar is “clean”. Powder is used but not preferred in trade due to possible adulteration and used only in trusted situations. Indian Dammar seems to be of superior quality and its trade indicates that higher prices are assured if the quality is maintained.

LOCAL VALUE ADDITION TRIALS

Value addition of Black Dammer was done depending on the quality/grades of resin. The lowest quality resin is dust like and mixed with pieces of bark and earth; after a minor amount of cleaning this is mixed with other ingredients and used for prayer fires as frankincense. The smoke and perfume is considered holy and purifying in all religions.

The middle grade resin is used to make agarbatti and incense cones. The finely powdered resin is mixed with oils and the bark of Persea Macarantha or Litsea spp[tooltip content=”Trees of many Litsea spp. are becoming endangered due to the pressure (by the incense industry) on their bark” url=”” ]Ref: 3[/tooltip]., which forms the dough; small amounts of this mixture is rolled evenly onto fine bamboo sticks by hand. These are dried in the shade and packed as incense sticks, used widely in India. The oils and perfumes vary and give the customer a choice of flavours. Resin agarbattis were made with the help of a local manufacturer in Pondicherry and trials done to check the “burning” quality. The results of the value added products, of both sticks and the cones, are good and can be scaled up to a village production level.

To understand the large scale production of agarbattis a visit was made to Cycle Brand Industries in Mysore. The industry uses very little Canarium strictum in its production as there are cheaper binders/gums available; also, people burn Dhoopa directly on coal embers instead of agarbattis made from it. According to the industry sources, Persea Macarantha was not available in the southern states, as it was banned for collection. In earlier years this bark had been over-harvested in Karnataka and many trees had died. Now, it was imported from countries like Vietnam, China, etc. to meet the needs of the industry.

The other possibility of value addition is to clarify resin with lab turpentine or ether and filter the solution to make a clear resin varnish, which can be used by painters and artists to coat and gloss their art works. This is a specialty product stemming from the relatively rough applications for water proofing done by the boat industry.

DISCUSSION

The overall scenario concerning Canarium strictum needs to be analysed: its population, regeneration, collection by indigenous communities, harvesting techniques, markets and trade links are some of the factors that deserve attention. From the data presented earlier, and the results of trials conducted for value addition, it seems that a multi pronged approach is necessary to address issues concerning Canarium strictum and related to conservation, livelihood and enterprise.

Conservation and propagation of C.strictum is of utmost importance as populations seem to be declining; a thorough study of the population and ecology of the tree across the Western Ghats is also necessary. Research related to its habitat, germination and seedling mortality in the wild need to be undertaken. The forest department can take this species up specifically in their nurseries and for planting.

The livelihood aspects also need special attention to know what portion of income/employment and subsistence needs of various adivasi communities are met by C.strictum. The status of land tenure and the methods of harvesting resin can be documented in detail to arrive at a sustainable model that takes into consideration both indigenous systems and modern science. More than anything else, it is necessary to work closely with communities to understand their livelihood needs, compulsions and practical difficulties in the forest. Grades of resin, sales avenues and market rates all determine the net livelihood aspects of the adivasi harvesters.

As far as the market and enterprise elements of resin are concerned it is necessary to understand the demands from the external markets of agarbatti, boat making and the ayurvedic industry. More dialogue is required to make them buy only grades which are sustainably harvested. At the village/VSS level it is possible to locally value add the product in the ways mentioned above, assuming certain harvest protocols are followed. This will provide an additional income to the harvesters and their families. In the case of agarbattis, the added dimension of using the bark of a banned species, Persea macarantha, comes into play; alternative materials may need to be considered as substitutes for which it may require more local trials.

In conclusion, with the information and materials available Keystone can directly launch a species specific programme in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and work simultaneously on all the aspects of conservation, livelihood and sustainable small scale enterprise.

References:

1. Roxburgh, Fl. Ind. 3: 138.1832; Gamble, Fl. Madras 1: 172. 1997 (re. ed); Sasidharan, Biodiversity documentation for Kerala- Flowering Plants, part 6: 86. 2004; Saldanha, Fl. Karnataka 2: 199. 1996. Cook, Fl. Bombay 1:202. 1902.

2. K. GEBREHIWOT, B. MUYS, M. HAILE and R. MITLOEHNER. Introducing Boswellia papyrifera (Del.) Hochst and its non-timber forest product, frankincense; International Forestry Review 5(4), 2003

3. Bhausaheb Tambat, G. Rajnikanth, G. Ravikanth, R. Uma Shankar, et al; Seedling mortality in two vulnerable tree species in the sacred groves of Western Ghats, South India; Current Science; Vol 88, No. 3; 10 february, 2005

4. Workshop Proceedings, Gums and Resins; Keystone Foundation, 2005

5. Ecology and Society 13(2): 11/ http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol13/iss2/art11/ Titled: Regional variations in Non Timber Forest Produce Harvest strategies, trade and Ecological Impacts: The case of Black Dammer (Canarium Strictum, Roxb) Use and Conservation in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Authors; Anita Varghese and Tamara Ticktin

6. A Review of Dipterocarps: Taxonomy, ecology and silviculture; Editors Simmathiri Appanah, Jennifer M. Turnbull; CIFOR & FRI, Malaysia; 1998

7. Resource Assessment and economic value of Canarium strictum in Uttara Kannada district of Central Western Ghats, India.; Narasimha Hegde; Unpublished Paper