Page 32 - 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”

of agroforestry in spite of huge potential is lack of well defined set of regulations and guidelines related to
harvesting, transportation and marketing of agroforestry produce (Dhyani and Handa, 2013b). Agroforestry
finds some place in National Agricultural Policy, 2000 wherein it is underlined that ‘farmers will be encouraged
to take up farm/agroforestry for higher income generation by evolving technology, extension and credit
support packages and removing constraints to development of agroforestry’. Government of India has
launched several schemes/projects like National Bamboo Mission under Ministry of Agriculture, Rashtriya
Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Horticulture Mission, National Biofuel Policy, etc. wherein integrating
forestry components on farm lands has been given much needed thrust. National Bank for Agriculture and
Rural Development (NABARD) provides financial and banking institutional support for social forestry,
farm forestry and afforestation of wastelands. Initiatives of agrihorticulture programme by Bharatiya Agro-
industries Foundation (BAIF), an NGO is also another successful model. Similarly, the National Medicinal
Plants Board (NMPB) under the Ayurveda, Yunani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH), Govt. of India has
laid emphasis on integrating medicinal plants and trees along with agricultural crops. Establishment of silvi-
pastoral systems and fodder blocks/banks has been envisaged in various schemes operated by the Animal
Husbandry Department. The National Afforestation and Eco-development Board (NAEB) under Ministry of
Environment & Forests, Govt. of India is also promoting agroforestry practices on farm and wastelands. In
addition to these various schemes, State Governments also have schemes / projects that promote agroforestry
in one way or the other. Thus, there have been some scattered efforts to bring more focus on agroforestry
practices. However, the lacuna of not having an exclusive policy for agroforestry at National level hampered
the adoption of agroforestry on a wider scale. In addition to this, agriculture falls under state subject and
forestry under concurrent list. Non-uniformity in legal aspects and financial prospects across different states
of the country also makes it difficult for many farmers to integrate trees into their cropping systems.

During last four decades many agroforestry technologies have been developed and demonstrated by the
research organizations. But most of them have not reached to farmer’s field for want of awareness, inadequate
infrastructure and lack of policy support. Therefore, the desired impact has not been observed in terms of
adoption of technology. However, policy issues related to agroforestry as such has not been taken up for
research studies. But discussion in various meetings, seminar, workshops and symposia these issues have
always found place (Dhyani and Handa, 2013). It is known that the growth and development of agroforestry is
influenced by various policies of the economy like credit, trade, taxation, power, transport, etc.These policies

impact the sector either directly or indirectly besides the core forest and agricultural policies which have a
larger bearing on the agroforestry programme in the country. State regulations and permit systems for felling
of trees and for timber transportation have been main interferences in marketing of timber grown on farmers’
land by private investment and have been major discouragement to the expansion of agroforestry, besides,
marketing of agroforestry produce is not organized. Thus, a consensus emerged recently that India needs
urgently a policy on agroforestry. After long deliberations and discussion India launched a forward looking
National Agroforestry Policy in 2014.

The Goals of the National Agroforestry Policy 2014
 Setting up a National Agroforestry Mission or an Agroforestry Board to implement the National
Policy by bringing coordination, convergence and synergy among various elements of agroforestry

Institute of Animal Nutrition, Centre for Animal Production Studies, TANUVAS
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development 13