Over 14 lakh saplings planted in Coimbatore forest division in 9 years

COIMBATORE:  As part of efforts to increase green cover, officials of Coimbatore Forest Division (Extension) under the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity and Conservation Greening Project and Tree Cultivation on Private Lands (TCPL) have planted 14.33 lakh saplings between 2012 and 2021.

Officials had distributed saplings of 24 varieties, including teak (Tectona grandis), Malai Vembu (Melia Dubia), Mahagony (Mahagony swietenia) and Perumaram (Ailanthus exceisa) to improve livelihood of farmers in Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Nilgiris districts.

“We have covered 95 villages in the three districts and planted 14.33 lakh saplings till 2021. Out of these saplings, we have planted a total of 13,07,006 long rotation saplings up to 2021 and 1,26,000 short rotation saplings up to 2013-14. Due to short rotation, farmers harvested in the last one year and are getting good returns. Malaivembu is one of the short rotation variety which is harvested within six to seven years.

A farmer gets between Rs 4,000 to 5,000 for harvesting Malaivembu per one tonne and the harvested tree is being used for making paper and furniture. Farmers are directly sending the harvested trees to paper and furniture companies,” said a forest department official.  

“We are planning to raise more saplings in our three nurseries in Coimbatore and distribute it in the second phase of the project soon. In this regard, a four-member team from JICA along with Vijendra Singh Malik who is Principal Chief Conservator of forests and Chief Project Director of Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project for Climate Change Response (TBGPCCR) interacted with some farmers  last week,,” the official said.

K Devarajan a farmer from Avinashi told TNIE that he harvested 10 tonnes of Perumaram and sent them to Chennai at the rate of Rs 6,000 per tonne six months ago. However this has come down to Rs 4,000 to 4,500 now. “I will now harvest Savukku ( Casuarina Junghuhniana) a tonne fetches Rs 5,250,” he said.