Improving Land Productivity and Returns from Agroforestry Plantations

Forestry should be treated as a complementary rather than a competing land use, vis a-vis agriculture. National forests are under intense biotic pressure with low growing stock and poor productivity. Even after taking all possible measures for restoring the growing stock and improving land productivity of forests from the current level of 32 million m³/yr, it Will not be possible to meet the growing national needs for timber and wood projected at 418 million m³/yr by 2010 AD. Well-planned investment in technology based plantations, with genetically superior planting stock on vacant government lands, reclaimable wastlands, rail road and canal strips, combined with massive thrust in agroforestry plantations, should be a national priority. Improved package of practices, scientific management of plantations with accountability for results, technical extension services, long-term finance and marketing support for agroforestry plantations, will play a vital role in bridging the gap between demand and availability of wood. Such plantations will also generate ample employment opportunities for the rural poor and contribute immensely to the greening of the country, amelioration of the environment, maintenance of the ecological balance and life-support systems. Succesful implementataion of the reafforestation and agroforestry programmes will help sustain improvement of agricultural productivity and production through soil and water conservation and release large quantities of cow-dung for use as farmyard manure to restore soil fertility.