News

Agroforestry Value-Chains and Market Systems: A Training cum Exposure Visit organised for Forest Department Officials

12 June 2023
Field visit and interaction with the Consortium stakeholders ©FCR&I
Field visit and interaction with the Consortium stakeholders ©FCR&I
Session on the demand and challenges faced by timber and non-timber industries in agroforestry products ©GIZ/Vishal Chaudhary
Session on the demand and challenges faced by timber and non-timber industries in agroforestry products ©GIZ/Vishal Chaudhary

The training cum exposure visit organised by the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem Services (FES) Project, the Forest College and Research Institute (FC&RI) and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) brought together State Forest Department officials of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, representatives from different industries, farmers and panchayat heads. The event aimed to assess the challenges and opportunities in integrating agroforestry models into agricultural practices to promote sustainable farming methods.

The sessions during the visit focused on best practices in industrial agroforestry, precision plantation technologies, establishing market linkages, exploring collaborative approaches in enhancing agricultural value chains and market systems and business incubator activities. Participants also visited TNAU’s facilities and FC&RI’s experimental farms to observe multidimensional intercropping, precision silviculture and ecosystem services from agroforestry systems. Practical learning activities included briquette manufacturing, timber treatment, wood seasoning and natural dye processing. Based on the learnings from the visit, the FES Project plans to replicate similar business models in other states and strengthen Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) by providing support, enhancing their capacities and facilitating connections with industries.

Date
June 12-16, 2023

Location
Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu

Contact Person
Sanjay Tomar