Seed Money

CHIRONJI, A MILDLY SWEET NUT, ENSURES THAT FOREST DWELLERS NEVER RUN OUT OF CASH

- DEEPANWITA GITA NIYOGI

WHEN IT comes to minor forest produce, chironji plays a key role in keeping the rural economy going. Sanmati Bai, who lives in Kopabera village of Chhattisgarh’s Kondagaon district, waits every summer for fruits to appear on chironji (Buchanania lanzan) trees deep inside the forest. These trees grow up to about 15 metres and start flowering around January. By April, the fruits are ready for collection, which continues till May-end.

“As soon as day breaks, we gather around its trees and handpick the best ones,” says Sanmati. In peak season, one family can collect at least 30 kg. “Chironji has a guthli (seed), which has dana chironji (kernel) inside,” she explains. The kernel has a mild sweet yet acrid flavour. Across India, people use this as a nut to add to sweetmeats.

Tribal communities cook the skin of the fruit as a vegetable, but rarely eat the kernel. They take it to weekly haats and sell them to traders.

In the markets of Golawand village in Kondagaon, resident Shyambati Kashyap sells the guthli for ₹25-30 per kg to small trader Rama Shankar Sethia. In turn, Sethia sells the produce for ₹40-50 in Kondagaon city. Prices soar as it reaches big markets. Rajendra Sethia, another local trader, says it fetched ₹80-100 per kg in 2018. Dana chironji was priced at ₹450 per kg (1 kg of dana chironji requires 3.5 kg guthli).