Swertia Chirayita: A Livelihood Option, A Case Study from Maipokhari VDC, Illam, Nepal

Abstract

wertia chirayita is one of the important MAPs of Nepal. It is a multipurpose medicinal plant categorized as vulnerable category of IUCN. S.chirayita favors northeast and northwest facing slopes, sandy soil enriched with organic matter and humus with pH 4.7-5.5 (acidic soil). A study was carried out in Maipokhari areas of Illam district in the Eastern Nepal where chirayito cultivation is common between 1800 to 2220masl. Questionnaire survey was carried out to generate the primary data and literatures were reviewed to get secondary data. Stratified sampling was undertaken for the ecological study of S.chirayita. Soil parameters and bitter principle test were analyzed in the laboratory. Cultivated S. chirayita showed high density and high productivity too. Very scanty distribution of chirayito was observed in community forest especially at 1800m altitude due to unavailability of sufficient space to grow chirayito. The density as well as production of S.chirayita has been increased with increasing altitude. Bitter principle test showed the high value in chirayito collected from wild than cultivated site which is accordance to the value suggested in Pharmacopoeia of India (1982). However, student’s t-test showed no significance difference in bitter principle between wild and cultivated chirayito. Mostly positive correlation was observed between soil parameters and bitter principle. This implies that with increase in soil parameters values (nitrate, phosphorous, potassium, percentage organic matter, percentage nitrogen); the bitterness of chirayito also increases. Thus in wild stage, the value of soil parameters is high as compared to cultivated sites so yield high bitterness too. Almost all respondents cultivated chirayito in their private land. Over ninety percent of the local people are satisfied from the income generated through the trade of chirayito which they used for household expenditures (such as buy foods, medical expenses etc). This has improved their livelihood. Mostly all the people were satisfied from the prevailing price and they are planning to increase chirayito cultivation in their private land. Market survey showed no adulteration on chirayito during trade. Generally royalty/tax system does not exist for chirayito harvested from the private/cultivated land. However, farmers have to pay it to the traders indirectly and thus are getting lower price than the actual market price. There has been big price difference between harvesters and wholesalers. Cultivation on the private land showed higher income than harvesting from wild. It is because more amount of chirayito was harvested from the private land and traded too. Mainly legal trade network was observed v

from the study area. The trade of NTFPs mainly chirayito towards Silugadi (India) is reported. MAPs cultivation in the study area mainly includes Chirayito (S. chirayita), Lokta (Daphne bholua), Ok Aalu (Lilium nepalenises) in which chirayito showed high production (5587kg/bulb/plant) which was exported from the study area. Chirayito cultivation was carried out by uniformly showing seeds on the ploughed land. However, slash and burn method is also applied especially in the private forest. Harvesting of chirayito only after the seeds get mature and fall to the ground is highly recommended. Formation of NTFPs-based enterprises, Herbal processing units and market co-operatives should be initiated by the concerned organizations and stakeholders so that S.chirayita will be a better livelihood option in the study area.