NBA Releases ₹45 Lakh To Red Sanders Farmers In AP
The funds were disbursed through the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board: Reports
VIJAYAWADA: The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released ₹45 lakh to Red Sanders farmers in Andhra Pradesh under its Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism, providing a boost to sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity conservation. The funds were disbursed through the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board.
With this release, cumulative ABS disbursements nationwide have crossed ₹143.5 crore under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Farmers benefit both from lawful sale of cultivated Red Sanders and direct monetary returns through ABS.
Officials said Andhra Pradesh alone has received over ₹104 crore so far for Red Sanders conservation and benefit sharing, while more than ₹15 crore has gone to farmers in other states.
In the last three months, ₹5.35 crore has been released to over 220 farmers across Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
The NBA said the ABS framework discourages illegal trade by promoting regulated cultivation and transparent benefit sharing, linking conservation with steady incomes for farming communities.