The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has released Rs 3 crore to 199 beneficiaries in Andhra Pradesh — including 198 Red Sanders cultivators and the University of Andhra — under the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) framework of the Biological Diversity Act.

The payout, routed through the Andhra Pradesh State Biodiversity Board, supports farmers from 48 villages across Chittoor, Nellore, Tirupati and Cuddapah districts. Individual beneficiaries are set to receive between Rs 33,000 and Rs 22 lakh, depending on the quantity of Red Sanders supplied, with many earning more than the wood's sale value.

The initiative is part of NBA’s ongoing effort to link biodiversity conservation with livelihood enhancement. It follows earlier disbursements of Rs 48 crore to forest departments in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and Rs 55 lakh to farmers in Tamil Nadu for Red Sanders conservation efforts.

The move stems from recommendations of the Expert Committee on Red Sanders, which led to the 2019 DGFT policy allowing export of legally cultivated Red Sanders — a major step toward promoting sustainable trade of the endemic and high-value species.

NBA said the initiative highlights how ABS mechanisms can make biodiversity protection a viable economic activity while ensuring fair returns to local communities acting as custodians of natural resources.