Lac, a natural polymer (resin) in produced by a tiny insect, Kerria lacca (Kerr), which is purposely cultured on shoots of several species of trees, mainly palas, kusum and ber. This agricultural profession of lac cultivation is a subsidiary source of income for a large number of farmers mainly in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh. West Bengal, Orrissa, North-East states and other parts of the country. Indi
a, which is the highest producer of lac, contributes around
55% of the total world requirement. The country exports around 80-90% of its production. Jharkhand is the ‘Lac State of India’ which alone contributes about 59% of the national production.Recent studies carried out by Indian Lac Research Institute in Ranchi district of Jharkhand and several lac growing villages of other regions have revealed that income generated from
lac cultivation is next only to cultivation of paddy. The income form lac cultivation is about 80% of their total agricultural income.And most of the lac growing families are among the poorest of the poor in the state. for more go through this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lac
