Evaluation of Lac Cultivation in Two South-Western Districts of Bangladesh

Lac is the dermal secretion of lac insect, Kerria lacca Kerr., which is used to make expensive natural dye, burnish, coating materials, in cosmetics and jewelry industry. Though it is very perspective industry and available of host plants over the country especially in southern districts of Bangladesh, lac cultivation is confined within some northern districts of Bangladesh. Experiment was conducted to find out the possibility of lac cultivation in two southwestern districts of Bangladesh: Khulna and Satkhira compared to Chapainowabgonj, the key lac producing district in Bangladesh, during February-October, 2006. The bark thickness, bark weight of ber plant, ratio of harvested and inoculated lac sticks, harvested raw lac, and harvested processed lac were measured and compared. Statistically, similar performance of lac cultivation was found regarding all parameters in three districts. These results recommended that lac cultivation is possible at the south-western coastal part of Bangladesh.