Page 31 - Agroforestry system - book inner (final corrected) - 9.-3-21_Neat

National level e-symposium on “Agroforestry system for augmenting livestock
productivity and empowering resource poor rural farmers”

field study on performance of Melia under different spacing was conducted. The results indicated that in block
plantation planting of Melia at 5 x 5 m or 6 x 6 m recorded on par yield per tree. However, 5 x 5 m recorded
15-20 per cent higher yield as compared to 6 x 6 m. Further bund planting 3 m, 4 m and 5 m intra row spacing
with 24 m or 30 m apart sustain the productivity of associated crops like ragi, red gram and field bean etc.

Need of National Agroforestry Policy
Agroforestry is now providing powerful technological and policy innovations that are rapidly spreading in
Africa, Asia, Latin America, and more recently, in several developed countries. It is one key path to prosperity
for poor people suffering from hunger, malnutrition, poverty and the deterioration of the environment in the
areas that have been bypassed by the “Green Revolution”. By far, the vast majority of trees are grown under
agroforestry systems. Agroforestry offers a better livelihood strategy to farmers due to relatively low input
costs, flexible labour requirements, higher profitability, diversity of income sources, and more bargaining
power at the marketing stage than with annual crops. Incorporating trees into farming systems leads to greater
prosperity at the farm level. Trees provide farmers with marketable products – such as lumber, building
poles, firewood, animal fodder, fruits, and medicines – all of which earn extra income. In northwest India in
the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and U.P. tree-crop combinations have the potential to give better
economic returns than trees or crops alone. In these areas, clonal poplar and eucalypts are fast emerging as
the preferred species for agroforestry. Of late teak and Melia composita are also being seriously considered.
Farm and agroforestry have been accepted as a viable alternative for diversification of agriculture in these
states. Further gain is possible by integrating trees with wood-based industries through its multiplier effect.

Constraints for adopting agroforestry by farmers

Farmers in India have made significant contribution toward production of wood and other produces
through agroforestry. However, there are a number of constraints, which inhibit the growth and development
of agroforestry to its full potential. The major constraints are:
 Long gestation period of trees along with market uncertainties
 Difficulties in getting long term bank credit and insurance for plantations

 Absence of regulated timber markets for transparent trading
 Non-availability of genetically improved/certified forest reproductive material and absence of efficient
extension services
 Over regulation often restricting access to markets for farmer-grown timber and tree products, partly
because of rules intended to curb illegal logging from natural forests and government plantations.
 Lack of strategic directions (supply-demand forecasts) for agroforestry linking potential production
with market demand.
 Marketing and price support system to ensure right prices and smoothen market fluctuations.
 Unfavourable export and import policy of the Government.

Due to above mentioned constraints, the tree component on farm lands has often been restricted which
is evident from the Global Report on Assessment of Tree Cover on Agricultural Land which reports 10% tree
cover in just 48% of agricultural land (Zomer et al. 2009). One of the major concerns in large scale adoption

12 Institute of Animal Nutrition, Centre for Animal Production Studies, TANUVAS
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development