Ease of Doing Business in Agroforestry

The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change has issued model rules for felling trees in agricultural land, aiming to boost exports of wood-based products. The objective is to promote ease of doing business in agroforestry, boost domestic timber production, and support wood-based exports by simplifying rules for tree felling on farmland.

Key Highlights of the Model Rules

Purpose and Vision:

• Encourage tree-based farming to:
  • Reduce timber imports
  • Double farmers’ income
  • Support domestic wood-based industries
  • Enhance agroforestry exports
  • Promote sustainable land use models

Simplified Regulatory Framework:

• Agroforestry land registration
• Online tree harvesting permissions
• Traceability via geotagging and updates

Use of Digital Portal:

• Introduction of National Timber Management System (NTMS) portal
• Farmers must:
  • Register plantations with details: land ownership, species, location, and planting year
  • Upload geotagged photos and update data regularly

Tree Felling Application & Verification:

• Applications for tree felling can be submitted online via NTMS
• Empanelled verifying agencies will inspect sites
• Based on reports, tree felling permits will be issued for agricultural lands

Monitoring Mechanism:

• Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) to supervise agencies
• State-level committees, under Wood-Based Industries Guidelines (2016), will guide:
  • Agroforestry promotion
  • Timber harvesting regulation
  • Timber transit policies

Implementation & Appeal to States

• MoEFCC urges States/UTs to adopt model rules
• Goal: Incentivize farmers, remove bureaucratic hurdles, and integrate trees into farming systems

Mint