20-July-2024

Reimagining Sal Seed Collection: Empowering Forest Communities Through Innovation

The physical burden of this work is significant. Each woman collects 15-20 kg of seeds per day, carrying heavy loads over long distances, sometimes up to 10 kilometers to reach their homes or markets. Once collected, the seeds must be dried, de-winged, and sold. However, with limited storage facilities and market access, many women are forced to sell immediately at low prices, often dictated by middlemen. These low returns make Sal seed collection an unreliable source of income despite its economic potential.

Sal seed collection is a key economic activity in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh, where Sal trees dominate the landscape. Jharkhand alone has over 2.5 million hectares of Sal forests, yet only 10-15% of the available seeds are harvested each year. The season for Sal seed collection lasts for just six weeks, beginning in May and ending before the monsoons intensify in July. Women from forest-proximate communities play a central role in this process, often spending six to eight hours daily picking up seeds manually from the forest floor.

Introducing the Sal Seed Collector Machine

To address these challenges, the Initiative on the Forest Economy (IoFE) has developed and tested a Sal seed collector machine in the districts of Gumla, Simdega, and Ranchi. This machine is designed to reduce the time and labor involved in collection, enabling women to gather seeds more efficiently. The manually operated device features a pinion and gear wheel system, which allows it to sweep up fallen seeds into an attached bag as it moves across the forest floor.

Initial field tests show that the machine allows collectors to gather over 5.5 kg of seeds in just one hour, marking a 33% increase in collection efficiency compared to manual methods. This reduction in labor enables women to double their daily collection, potentially increasing their earnings. Additionally, the machine allows for faster seed aggregation before rainfall, reducing post-harvest losses due to moisture damage.

Despite its advantages, early trials revealed certain limitations. The current model also collects dry leaves and twigs, requiring additional effort for segregation. It is less effective on hilly terrain, where manual collection remains necessary. Based on feedback from collectors, IoFE is working on design improvements, including:

These modifications aim to create a user-friendly, scalable solution that can be easily adopted across multiple forest regions.

Beyond Mechanization: Strengthening Market Linkages

Mechanization alone cannot fully address the challenges faced by Sal seed collectors. While improving efficiency at the collection stage, it is equally critical to ensure that collectors receive fair compensation for their efforts. IoFE is working to establish direct market linkages with institutional buyers, minimising midddlemen cost and improving value to the collectors.

Through pilot aggregation efforts, three women-led community enterprises recently facilitated the sale of 11 tonnes of Sal seeds to an institutional buyer, AAK India, at a better price than what collectors receive in local markets. Expanding such structured sales can significantly improve earnings for collectors, making Sal seed collection a sustainable livelihood option.

Refining the Machine for Greater Efficiency

Transforming the Forest Economy Through Innovation

The introduction of the Sal seed collector machine, combined with organized market access, represents a shift in how forest-based livelihoods are structured. With over 1.5 million forest-dependent households in Jharkhand alone, scaling these innovations can have far-reaching economic and social impacts. By reducing drudgery, increasing earnings, and formalizing market access, IoFE is working to unlock the full potential of Sal seed collection, ensuring that forest-dependent communities benefit more equitably from the resources they sustain.