NEW DELHI: The Central Government has introduced model rules aimed at promoting agroforestry on agricultural land, with the goal of improving the business environment for farmers involved in tree farming.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has released the "Model Rules for Felling Trees in Agricultural Lands." These model rules simplify the regulatory frameworks for agroforestry in States and Union Territories.
Agroforestry, which involves planting trees on farmland, enhances rural livelihoods by improving soil health, conserving biodiversity, increasing tree cover, promoting water conservation, and contributing to climate resilience, all while alleviating pressure on natural forests.
The rules simplified procedures for registering agroforestry lands and managing tree harvesting and transit. The initiative is expected to encourage greater participation and open opportunities for farmers and other stakeholders to adopt agroforestry practices. The model rules are designed to support the ease of doing business for those involved in tree-based farming systems.
In its release, the MoEFCC stated that the model rules are designed to facilitate the ease of doing business for those involved in tree-based farming systems.
It says that by promoting domestic timber production through agroforestry, the approach seeks to close the demand-supply gap, support wood-based industries with locally sourced raw materials, and boost exports.
According to the model rules, applicants are required to register their plantations on the National Timber Management System (NTMS) portal, which is currently under development. This involves submitting basic plantation data including, land ownership information, location of the farm with KML file, species, plantation period etc.
The applicants can periodically update the plantation information and upload geotagged photos of the plantation to ensure traceability. Applicants wishing to harvest trees from registered plantations can apply online through the National Timber Management System, providing specific details of the trees intended for felling.
The State Level Committee established under the Wood-Based Industries (Establishment and Regulation) Guidelines, 2016 will also be responsible for implementing these model rules. Its role will be to guide the States and Union Territories on promoting agroforestry and enhancing timber production from farmlands by easing regulations related to tree harvesting and timber transportation.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change have requested States and UTs to examine the model rules and consider their adoption in order to enhance the ease of doing business in agroforestry and incentivise farmers to integrate trees into their farming systems without facing undue procedural hurdles.