With high seedling rates, forest dept skeptical about distribution of seeds

Mysuru: The forest department is ready with nearly five lakh seedlings of different tree species in the district this monsoon season, but the rates of the seedlings have been revised owing to cost of production.
Authorities, however, are skeptical whether they can achieve the target of public distribution. Nearly two dozen classes of seedlings are ready for distribution at different nurseries run by the department but the revision of rate could hamper its plan as procurement is slow.
The forest department would also take up forestry plantation on the department land as usual. Their target for the year is about 1.9 lakh seedlings. The department will supply seedlings regularly to farmers, the public, and members of non-government organisations. Education institutions, government agencies, and courts too plant saplings on their premises.
The prices of seedlings have been revised and increased after a lull and the minimum price of a seedling is about Rs 5 and the maximum is Rs 23. Earlier the prices were rupees one, three, and five and now rates have been revised to Rs five, six, and 23 for different species depending on the size of the polythene bags in which seedlings are grown by the department.
DCF (Mysuru) KN Basavaraj confirmed to TOI distribution of seedlings has commenced this year. About 22-25 different species of seedlings including sandal, teak, ‘bevu’, ‘hebbevu’, silver oak, and others are available with them and some species are region specific and made available in respective nurseries owing to local demand. Silver oak is preferred in coffee plantations and most of the farmers demand sandalwood and teak.
NGOs and private organisations regularly procure seedlings from them for plantation drives. Even government departments buy plants from the nurseries maintained by the forest department in every taluk. This year about 4.94 lakh saplings are ready for distribution to the public and others, while about 1.9 lakh seedlings would be planted by the department, he said.
HV Rajeev, former MUDA chairman, said under their unique project Laksha-Vriksha they have been distributing seedlings to individuals, and organisations for the past five years. “We procure some seedlings that are small in size from the forest department, grow them in our nursery and report them before distribution,” he said. “This year they have a target of distributing 15k seedlings from our farm which will take us closer to their target of a lakh trees. We will be completing distribution of 85k seedlings in 2023,” he said.