vue - Agro Forestry of Melia dubia in India 2016

One of the main problems that farmers face today is decreasing income from an acre per year against sudden increase in the value of agricultural lands due to newly formed rural roads, mushrooming of industries, and concrete dwellings. This forces several small farmers to sell their lands and settle in urban concrete jungles. Diminishing income from an acre against increasing land value, forces many farmers to sell their lands. A family of 4 members need a monthly income of Rs.40,000 from an acre if they have to survive. But today from an acre one gets anything between Rs.10,000 to Rs.12,000. “How is this enough? Naturally he prefers to sell his lands than continue farming. If we are keen that farming lands should not be sold then we must ensure income generation of at least Rs.20,000 to Rs.30,000 from an acre a year,” explains Dr. G. Kumaravelu, Member, Tamil Nadu Planning Commission and former Chief Conservator of Forests, Tamil Nadu. Melia is a money spinning tree of short duration. Even if planted as a single row along the field bunds, about 60 trees can be planted per acre, which will fetch an income of about Rs.2 lakhs in the sixth year of planting. “Since there is a total mismatch between demand and supply for wood and veneer, block planting of 300 to 400 trees per acre can ensure a minimum profit of rupees one lakh per year from an acre.