Swertia Chirayita: A Livelihood Option, A Case Study from Maipokhari VDC, Illam, Nepal
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Department of Environmental Science
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.