The noble deed, tree growing is most harassed with policy lapses, old colonial rules & procedures of Forest dept. The fundamental lapses are, applying laws meant for forest protection on farmers and applying conservation issues on farmers without doing it in forest by forest dept. It is nobodies intention to harass tree growing farmers, but it has happened. So, representing to all Honorable Members of Parliament of India. My representation also to UNEP / UNCCD / UNFCC etc because failure in distinguishing farmers trees from forest creates problem internationally, convention and treaties Hope hurdles for tree growing is removed and eco-friendly wood use for furniture / buildings increase, carbon sink. Thanking you

1. Kind Attn:
Honorable Members of Parliament
Agroforestry (Tree growing in farm lands)
Most harassed noble deed
India imports 1.7 lakh crores wood..
Solution..?
RP Ganesan BE
Tree grower & Policy Analyst
Hosur, Tamilnadu

2. • As all know the benefits of trees, it reduces Temp, Air
pollution, Brings Rain, Consumes CO2 and gives
Oxygen, ie trees give all Essentials of life
That is the reason, MoEFCC Forest policy 1988
recommended 33 % Green cover
• But only tree growing farmers know the difficulties,
MOEFCC policy lapses and forest dept torture
So, India imports 50000 crores of wood log
1 . 20 lakh crores of wooden products, BAD/ SAD

3. Root cause
• Green cover cannot be increased in forest
– Limited area, will decrease for development
• Forest policy does not allow felling trees in
forest for industrial purpose, GOOD
• Wood needs can only be met farm grown trees
• But farmers tree Growing is harassed with old
colonial laws and procedures of forest/MoEFCC
– It was created by British to meet their needs
– And to protect forest
Not fair to apply the same on farm trees

4. Scheduled trees, What for?
• Forest laws has scheduled tree / reserved tree
– What for? Reserved for whom? Will it be reviewed?
• The outcome of such provisions are
– Australia took our Sandal seed, became world largest
producer, selling back at India – A SHAME
– Many Indian farmers went to Australia to grow it
– TN farmers keep removing naturally sprouted sandal
• BSI in NDF study, recommended to restrict
Rosewood as done by AP, reserved tree, BAD
It is against NITI Aayog’s vision

5. Teak
• Native of India / Asia, Drought tolerant & All want it
• India (British) added it in scheduled timber list
• World adopted it, now, it is max planted in the world
• And many countries EXPORT it to India
A case study - Indian Teak Farmer’s Plight
An acre farmer fell his own Teak tree, sawed and
brought for his small house, in the night,
as though he is a thief, SAD
Traders exploit farmers due to forest dept’s cumbersome
procedures - 25 yrs old Teak is sold for RS 10000

6. Are harassments known to all ?
• Yes, Agroforestry policy 2014, itself says
2.3 clause: “obtaining permission permits for
harvesting and transportation are cumbersome,
costly & frustrating and hence, discourages
farmers from undertaking tree planting on farm
lands. It is also time consuming, mental agony,
felt so much harassment for doing good thing”
• Many more reports confirm it
Agroforestry policy Recommended ( Ref clause 5.1.1)
Need to create a Mission or Board

7. Mission created, but …. No use
• Submission on Agroforestry (SMAF) was created
under MoAFW in 2016
• But forest / MoEFCC cumbersome old rules, laws
and procedures, policy lapses remain same
• SMAF is never reviewed ( RTI )
• I am struggling to remove policy lapses for
FARMERS Red Sanders wood export still
– (Lal chandan / Rakta Chandan )
Red Sanders wood is India’s 2nd most valuable,
demanded worldwide, NOT opium, it is medicinal

8. Red Sanders (Lal Chandan/Rakta Chandan)
My struggles in brief - detailed in link below
• Even after 100’s of representations by emails and
grievances, MoEFCC failed to update it in IUCN redlist
• So, represented to IUCN, Geneva,
– They removed it from endangered category, 2018
• CITES, Geneva notified that FARMERS wood are
allowed for international trade, 2018 Clear
• DGFT had created a separate policy for FARMERS Red
Sanders wood export, 2019, Good
https://www.slideshare.net/GanesanRP/red-sanders-
policy-issues-after-bsi-ndf-report-feb-2020

9. Million Trees Planted
• After DGFT’s good policy on 18.02.2019 allowing
farmers Red Sanders wood export, I confidently told
farmers to plant Lal chandan (Red sanders)
• 8 Lakh people have viewed my youtube video
• This year, a Million Red Sanders trees were planted
• It will be TWO MILLION, next year
• Sad fact is MoEFCC (Wildlife div, being CITES authority)
yet to remove quantity restriction
So, I reiterate
Corruption is Percentage Loss
But Bad Policy is Total Loss

10. Wildlife means?
• Definition of wildlife (Cambridge dictionary)
Animals and plants that grow independently of people
usually in natural condition
• Who should decide the export policy of farm wood
– MOAFW or Wildlife Div (MoEFCC)?
• There would have been NO Barren lands, if such
forest laws were not applied on farm trees
“All tree species grown in farm land shall be free from
felling, transit… regulations”
2016 NITI Aayog’s Agri reforms, 3rd point. Thanks

11. Agriculture was impossible
but.. Treeculture is !!
A land, in 2005, Rocky, Dry, Red Soil & Sloppy
No crop was possible, even Tamarind of Forest dept
did not give fruit .

12. but RedSandersTreeisgrowingwell
Without water ! And NO chemical fertilizer or pesticide
Many Times Profitable than Coconut
It grew well with sheep grazing alone, 2013
Trying to simulate NATURE

13. So, Tree growing is a Healthy wealth
• My trees are now worth 25 crores
– My realization will be based on GOI policy
• Without any damage to any life
• My trees produces 500 tons of Oxygen
• Medicinal wood, better for humanity
• All the rain water gets percolated in my farm even
when there is 100mm rainfall in 2 hrs.
• It regrows after felling……..
So, Allowing FARMERS Red Sanders wood export
without any quantity restriction NO WAY BAD for any

14. • Meeting wood needs of India is no depts
responsibility / mandate
– Neither MoEFCC nor MoAFW
• Came to know after 100’s of RTIs, grievances to PMO
/ NITI Aayog, DARPG, Cabinet secretariat, MoAFW,
MoEFCC, websites
• Finally feel, cabinet secretariat should allocate the
responsibility as per Business Allocation rules 1961
to one dept / ministry
Note: In the Business allocation rules 1961,
Agroforestry / wood needs is NOWHERE mentioned
Another Root cause

15. A fundamental lapse
• Agroforestry means “Growing trees in farm lands
along with crops, horticultural trees, animals”
• Should Agroforestry Policy be under
– Min of Agriculture (MoAFW) ?
– or under Min of Environment (MoEFCC) ?
• Agroforestry policy was released by MoEFCC, 2014
– but implemented by NONE
• Agri universities has Agroforestry course, but……
Actually, Agroforestry is a complex, various
combination of crops and trees to suit soil, farmer’s
skill, needs….. Forest officers can not handle, as they
are familiar only with forest and not their mandate

16. MoEFCC / Forest dept restrict farm trees
in the name of conservation…. what else?
• MoEFCC does not have any plan or guidelines for
conservation or RECOVERY of endangered tree
species, as they have for tiger / elephant
– BSI / FRI of MoEFCC confirmed same in RTI in 2020
• Atree org scholar report also confirms the same
• Hard truth: Even WWF does not have, as it has for
animals
• It is senseless, restricting farm land trees felling in
the name of conservation / endemic …. SORRY

17. 2015 Paris climate change meet
Progress ….?
• India to create additional Carbon Sink of 2.5 to 3
Billion Tons of Co2 Equivalent through Additional
Forest and Tree Cover by 2030
• Any progress ??? Almost nothing
• Who can achieve MoEFCC or MOAFW ?
• Can we increase forest area? NO
• Do we have barren agriculture lands? YES lots
Biodiversity India has suitable tree species for all
soils and all conditions – we yet to use it

18. BONN Challenge, 2019 (MoEFCC)
• Shri Javadekar said that various schemes have been
launched by the GOI such as: Pradhan Mantri Fasal
Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Soil Health Card Scheme, Soil
Health Management Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Krishi
Sinchayee Yojna (PKSY), Per Drop More Crop, , etc.
which are helping to reduce land degradation. It
indicates three schemes to meet the challenge
• All schemes, PMFBY, Soil health and PMSY are of MoA
It is very clear, additional greening can only happen at
FARM lands and that is easily possible
only if forest dept is delinked from farm lands / farmers

19. MoEFCC - CAMPA…?
Compensatory Afforestation Mgmt Planning
• Rs 50000 cr fund was not properly used
• Close all state plantation corpns who grow
monoculture eucalyptus exotic species …, not the
mandate of IFS, mandate is forest protection
• Convert back those reserved forest leased lands as
conservation parks,
• In Conservation parks, Plant native endangered
species, naturalize it, make it populous
By 2040, no native Indian tree species should be in
endangered list of IUCN, include in MoEFCC mandate

20. Lok / Rajya Sabha, never discussed
• Harassment for tree growing is a long pending
issue, 2012 AK Bansal committee
• Wood import increasing, alarmingly
– Rs 50000 crores wood logs
– Rs 1.2 lakh crores wooden products
May double in 5 years !!!
• Trees help to reduce AIR pollution
• A way to increase FARMERS income
• Possible to make 20 % more of India green
Such important Agroforestry was not debated in Lok
/ Rajya sabha, as per websites

21. Water crises….root cause Forest dept…?
• Coconut, Sugarcane uses more ground water
• Many places bore well depth crossed 1500 ft
• Farmers say “we continue with those, since for timber
trees - forest permissions are cumbersome”
• FACT: Such extraction dries-up top soil, all other agri
activities become unviable, Desertification happens
• Desertification definition: The process by which
fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of
drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.
Desertification dept is under MoEFCC (by mistake)
(Forest never becomes desert, 3000 IFS officers?)

22. After facing so many difficulties,
for growing trees
I represented to Hon'ble PM Shri Modi ji
(17.9.2017, on his birth day)
Do not say Grow Trees
Till You Remove Hurdles Completely.
(To my knowledge, He also did not say after that)
The same is applicable
to whoever says “Grow Trees”
Including UNEP / UNFCC/ UNCBD

23. Who’s fault ?
• Cabinet secretariat did not allocate the responsibility
• MOEFCC did not change the colonial rules
• Farmers did not demand right policy
• MPs never discussed it in parliament
Whoever’s fault, Environmental Performance Index of
India (EPI) is worst, 178 out of 180 countries.
VERY SAD
Let’s not blame others
Let’s do our best to arrive a solution
TO GREEN 40% INDIA

24. A successful model - Malaysia
Malaysia Exports Wood, India Imports
Because Malaysia has got
Malaysia Timber Industry Board
under
Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities
Even, many endangered species woods are exported,
in large quantities, from cultivation
Ref: CITES Website - Export Quota / Org structure

25. Malaysia facilitated Indian buyers
• Last year, an Indian furniture shop owner was invited
for an event & facilitated well, with / by
• Ministry of Primary Industries
• Malaysian Timber Industry Board
• Malaysia Timber council
• MATRADE, Malaysian external trade dev copn
• Malaysian wood moulding joinery council
• MPMA, Malaysian Panel products Mfrs Assn
• MFC, Malaysian Furniture council
• TEAM, Timber Export Assn of Malaysia

26. So, the solution would be
Timber DevelopmenT boarD under MoAFW
Simple targets
Net Wood Import shall be ZERO by 2025
Meeting 2/3rd of INDC of Paris by 2030
1/3rd of Farm lands shall be trees, ie 20% of India
(So, GREEN Cover will beome 40% (20% forest)
(Note: Japan is covered with 66% GREEN)
Detailed presentation
https://www.slideshare.net/GanesanRP/shri-modiji-
do-not-say-grow-trees-till-you-remove-hurdles-for-it

27. Many challenges for Timber Dev boarD
• Identify wood import and it’s applications
• Identify suitable tree species
– Improve the quality – varieties
– Propagate with certified nurseries
• Identify suitable lands
– Identify various models, ie other crops with trees
• Facilitate drip irrigation, bank loan, insurance
• Promote wood use / wooden products
(which is ecofriendly, than plastic, cement etc.)
Trees regrow, not like granite export

28. Proven Successes of MoAFW
• Coconut Development Board
– Varieties, drip irrigation, value added products.
– Almost everywhere now / even in dry lands
– Waste Pith also Exported now
• Spices Develop’t board, exports at good price
• Tea Develop’t board, over produced
• Sugar development, not needed anymore
• Horticulture / Floriculture … many more
Proved, MoEFCC for Protection
MoAFW is to meet the need

29. Let forest dept focus on Forest area
• Convert back exotic monoculture eucalyptus
plantations in leased reserved forest lands with state
forest plantation corpns to forest dept
• Use those land for Recovery of all endangered tree
species using CAMPA fund also
• Improve the quality of degraded forest
• Let forest guards, guard forest area & not weigh
bridges to get …. from farm woods / farmers, BAD
Target for MoEFCC
There shouldn’t be any Indian native tree species in
endangered list (IUCN Redlist) by 2040

30. Happy that tree growers like
Smt Thimmakka
are honored with Padmashri
Thanking you all
Rich cultured India should not have
Tobacco Development Board
Water starving country
Should not export water consuming produce
Need to improve the confidence that
GOOD deeds are honored

31. For proofs of my points
Please find TOP 10, RTI replies, next 10 slides
Many other proofs available at Web
I am also ready to provide more proofs /
clarification, please write to me
ganesanrp@gmail.com

32. 2011
FRI Dehradun said no Red
Sanders details
My understanding of
MoEFCC lapses started,
since a DFO
Mr. Uxxxxx IFS
did not calculate
compensation correctly
for a Red Sanders trees in
NH 77 land acq case
(Court case is still in stay)

33. Dec 2015
My struggle started
to remove policy
lapses for FARMERS
Red Sanders Wood
Export
JAN 2020, Not yet over
Hope will happen by end of this year

34. 2016 created
SMAF
(Submission of
Agroforestry) is
not reviewed
in Aug 2018
MoAFW

35. In Jan 2017
BSI replied
Red sanders
conservation is
responsibility of
AP forest
TN / KA / MP forest
depts ???

36. MoEFCC says “not available” for RTI queries vide
MOENF/R/2016/50235 dt 27.02.2016
related to achieving 2015 Paris climate change
commitment of 2.5 billion Carbon sink through
additional tree cover, on 03.06.2016

37. Sep 2018
CAMPA (MoEFCC)
says they are out RTI
purview !!!
Note:
Even Hon’ble Apex
court says that they are
also under RTI purview

38. MoEFCC- SU
Survey & Utility
div
Says
they did not
conduct Red
sanders
population survey
in Farmers land
Who else?
Why you restrict?

39. BSI, Botanical survey of India
Mar 2020 RTI reply – No conservation plan

40. FRI, Dehradun
(Forest
Research
Institute)
says
No
Conservation
plan available
Mar 2020

41. Need for Timber Dev
Board grievance
NITI Aayog forwarded to
DARPG and grievance
closed
SAD
many such forwards
between
Cab secretariat, MoEFCC
(NAEB), MoAFW etc
I feel, all need to act