Contract plywood farming – A fillip to agroforestry promotion in India

Abstract

The demand for wood and wood products in India is increasing at an alarming rate. This demand is accelerated due to population explosion, urbanization, industrialization and the associated science and technological advancements. The low forest cover, restricted supply of wood from natural forests coupled with policy and legal compulsions have also reduced the supply from existing forest resources and directed to promote agroforestry and gained significant attention and attraction across the country. Though agroforestry is a traditional practice, its realization for commercial and industrial utility is of recent origin and practiced by wide range of stakeholders. However, for want of suitable institutional mechanism coupled with technological interventions, the achievement in agroforestry promotion is dismally modest. Under such circumstances, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has conceived and implemented contract farming models specific to various wood based industries like pulp and paper, plywood, dendro biomass and match wood industries. Currently, the research team has conceived a contract farming model for plywood industries and implemented it in association with two major plywood industries in Tamil Nadu, India. This contract farming model has been implemented by incorporating technological, organizational and marketing interventions. The development and deployment of new and alternate species, high yielding short rotation clones, precision silviculture practices and multifunctional agroforestry models have realised increased productivity in a short duration which attracted several farmers towards organised plywood farming. The assurance of buyback, price support system, felling and transportation facility coupled with institutional credit and insurance programme are some salient features of this model and extend greater scope of adoption not only within the region but also across the country.