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Ramanathan of Ganapathipalayam in Tamil Nadu does the forest agriculture in a small village near Udumalaipettai. He also advises to those who wish to start their own.
He grows nearly 1500 trees in an acre. Some of trees are useful as food source, some for burning purpose, some give fibres, some are useful for cattle-feed, some have medicinal value and others are root types. As they are grown like this, they support each other.
As long as the saplings are young, watering should be done, say for one year. The forest agriculture starts yielding their own fruits after five years. After that there is no need for water or fertilizer. The benefits they give would be more than what one would get from annual crops.
For the purpose of forest agriculture five acres are enough and the maintenance is easy.
Ramanathan gives his advice on the following matters and charges Rs. 150/ per acre.
1. Land examination and finding out the categories of trees.
2. Help for the procurement of seeds and saplings.
3. Supervision at the time of tree planting.
A farmer has to pay attention on the following things:
1. Making the fence using the small grown saplings and roots.
2. Making the path-way
3. Making ditches.
4. The process of sapling/seeding.
5. Safety.
6. Watering (particularly during the first year).
Expenditure incurred during first three years comes to Rs. 3,00 to 6,000/ per acre. Thereafter only patrolling around the garden is required. The period between July to December is the most appropriate time for forest agriculture. |
