Page 5 - Major Gum Resin-E-Book

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f=ykspu egkik=] ih,p-Mh- GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
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INDIAN COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
TRILOCHAN MOHAPATRA, Ph.D. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
FNA, FNASc, FNAAS KRISHI BHAVAN, NEW DELHI 110 001
SECRETARY & DIRECTOR GENERAL Tel. : 23382629, 23386711 Fax : 91-11-23384773
E-mail: dg.icar@nic.in

Foreword

P lant gums and resins are important non-wood forest produce (NWFP) known to
mankind since ancient times. These products are mostly valued for their consumption
and medicinal properties having mention in Vedic literature. Some of these are of local
or limited interest, but others are extensively used and also entered the export trade
of the country. India hosts variety of gum and resin producing plant species due to its
diverse climatic conditions ranging from temperate climate of Himalayas to hot and arid
Rajasthan. Commercially important gums include guar gum, gum karaya, gum acacia,
gum ghatti, jhingan gum whereas resins comprise pine resin, dammar, salai, guggul, etc.
These gums and resins through domestic consumption and trade, support livelihood of
the forest dwelling population, particularly tribal communities in India. Majority of forest
dwellers predominantly from central and western Indian states depend on gums and / or
resins as a viable source of income. There is tremendous scope for spreading awareness
about importance of such products and conservation of their source trees for sustainable
harvesting and trade.

I am very happy to know that this book on ‘Major Gum and Resin Plants of India: A Field
Guide’ covers pictorial as well as descriptive information on plants and their gum-resin
products at one place. This book will help avoiding confusion in identification of the
gum or resin producing trees which are known by different local names across the India.
Correct identification of Plants will not only help in their judicious utilization but also their
consumption.

I am sure; the book will act as an on-field guide for the researchers, naturalists, forest
officials, gum collectors and traders. This will open new opportunity for sustainable tapping
of the valuable gums and resins especially in the areas where these natural resources are
unutilized or under utilized due to lack of awareness. This will also assist in generating
employment in the resource constrained areas where other vocations have limited scope.

(T. Mohapatra)
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