National Biodiversity Authority disburses Rs 3 crore to Red Sanders farmers in Andhra

New Delhi, Nov 4 (PTI) The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) on Tuesday announced the release of Rs 3 crore to 198 farmers cultivating Red Sanders across Andhra Pradesh, along with an academic beneficiary of Andhra University, under the Access and Benefit-Sharing mechanism of the Biological Diversity Act.

The disbursement was routed through the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board as part of the NBA's ongoing efforts to promote equitable benefit-sharing and sustainable use of India's biological resources, according to an official statement.

The latest release covers farmers from 48 villages across four districts of Chittoor, Nellore, Tirupati, and Cuddapah who have been cultivating and conserving Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus), a highly valued and endemic tree species found only in southern India.

Under the initiative, individual beneficiaries will receive between Rs 33,000 and Rs 22 lakh, depending on the volume of cultivated Red Sanders wood supplied to users.

The NBA noted that many farmers are receiving amounts higher than the actual sale value of the wood, highlighting the scheme's emphasis on fair compensation for biodiversity custodians, it said.

The current disbursement builds on earlier benefit-sharing measures, where the NBA had allocated Rs 48 crore to the Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka forest departments and the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board for Red Sanders conservation, and Rs 55 lakh to farmers in Tamil Nadu.

The initiative stems from the recommendations of the Expert Committee on Red Sanders, set up by the NBA in 2015. The committee formulated a policy for the conservation, sustainable use, and equitable benefit-sharing arising from the utilisation of Red Sanders.

A key policy outcome was the Directorate General of Foreign Trade's (DGFT) 2019 decision to permit exports of Red Sanders from cultivated sources, promoting legal and sustainable trade, the statement said.

The NBA said the initiative underscores how benefit-sharing frameworks can make biodiversity conservation a viable livelihood option while ensuring that local communities, who play a crucial role in protecting biological resources to receive their due rewards.

The move, it added, marks another milestone in India's effort to link conservation with inclusive development and fair benefit-sharing. PTI UZM RHL