Charcoal Production and Marketing in Gujarat

Charcoal Production and Marketing in Gujarat

Descripción

This pilot study focuses on charcoal production, trade and marketing in the state of Gujarat, India. The consumers of charcoal in the city of Ahmedabad as well as the industrial users outside this city are identified and the required quantities of a number of consumers have been estimated. The production subsystem deals with the supply pattern, and in this case the city is mainly supplied by four districts which belong to an area where rainfall is low and crop production is risky. Prosopis juliflora is the major tree species used for charcoal making and some information is given about planting and its economics. The contribution of charcoal production to wasteland development, employment and income generation is reported. The marketing of charcoal is a major focus of this report. Data on the quantities delivered to the city over several years are presented and the economics of traders and suppliers (expenses/costing, quality control, financing, agents, risk, etc.) are described in more detail. The policy environment is described along with the difficulties for the people involved in charcoal production. The document suggests that the control and regulation systems and the absence of appropriate policy in favour of charcoal production obstruct the development of this industry.