Kendu leaves, in terms of value and volume is the most important Non Wood Forest Products of Odisha. While the value of timber harvested from Odisha forest is about Rs. 200 crores a year, the KL trade presently achieves Rs. 600-700 crores annually. The significance of KL operation is it ability to generate employment for large section of rural and tribal population, for which the Kendu leaves production, processing and sale is managed by a full scale Kendu leaf organisation in Odisha headed by Principal Chief Consevator of Forests ( Kendu Leaves). The Odisha KL operation is unique in the country, as no other states has such arrangement. The field establishment comprises of 3 Kendu leaf circles, 19 Kendu leaf Divisions, 42 KL sub divisions & 149 Kendu leaf range.
