Guggul resin has potential to provide livelihood: Experts

“The workshop was aimed at sensitising forest staff and farmers about importance of guggul plant as medicinal plant and how to do sustainable harvesting of guggul resin. Experts said there is a huge market for guggul gum and the need of the hour is to address the depleting stock of guggul plants and sustainable harvesting of guggul gum without killing the plant,” Harsh Thakkar, deputy conservator of forests (DCF) of Kutch (east) forest department said on Thursday.

The Kutch forest circle has planted guggul plants in around 3,000 hectares as part of projects sponsored by NMPB while Mahobatsinh, a farmer, has planted guggul plants in around 700 acres for agroforestry purpose. “Experts were of the view that Kutch has geography, land and climate ideal for guggul cultivation and that if guggul gum is integrated into market, it has potential to provide livelihood to people,” Thakkar added.

Guggul grows mostly in arid and semi-arid regions of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and guggul resin sells anywhere between Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,500 per kg.
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