22.6.08

Money grows on trees here...


Self-sustenance through tree plantation in Anand,Gujarat has created a ripple effect on the saw mill industry. According to a study by conservator of forest, UD Singh, the ‘tree business’ has led to a leap in the number of saw mills in the district. While in the 1960s, there were around 200 saw mills by 1997 the number went up to nearly 950. This growth has been attributed to the rising number of trees in the region. The farmers mainly grow Azadirachta Indica (neem), Acacia Nilotica (babul), Eucalyptus and Ailanthus Excelsa (ardusa) among others. These five species account for nearly 60 per cent of trees. There are over 308 lakh trees which are grown in various villages and of these only 3.27 per cent of the trees are cut.The wood is much in demand for making packaging boxes, and also for boat manufacturing in the coastal parts of the state. Also the wood from this area is sent to Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan while it is also exported to South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Philippines.20 kg of wood is auctioned for around Rs 105 and of this Rs 27 is spent on tree cutting and transportation. The farmer gets Rs 78 per quintal which is more than the rates in the open market.

The success of the tree plantation project in Anand district has prompted the state government to replicate the same in other parts of the state.The same model would be replicated in districts of Mehsana, Patan, Himmatnagar and Panchmahals. Water availability was not a problem in these districts and hence the tree plantation project would definitely be a success.The project would be taken up by the social forestry department. The government would ask people to plant more, re-plant more and earn more out of trees. This initiative would not only help farmers but even labourers, transport business and saw mill owners. The wood would be used more for the packaging industry. Besides, the buyer-seller market also thrives in the area. More farmers in the four districts would be encouraged to take up the project and go in for plantation around the field and even near the canal. Officials said that once the saw mill owners purchase the wood at Rs 105, they spend another Rs 20 for cutting and giving shape to the wood. They then sell the same for over 180 per quintal which brings a net profit of around Rs 55 per quintal. These plantations would be on private land. Hence, not only will the tree cover in the area improve, but it will also bring in additional income. The forest department will play the role of supervison and create a nursery as back-up and develop local mandi. He said that these once the project is kicked off, the income generation would begin just after four or five years.

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