CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, March 28: The Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department has planned to grow and promote Minor Forest Produce (MFP) yielding trees such as arjun trees, palash trees, bear, gooseberry, semal, aasan, karam etc in forest lands all across Jharkhand in 2022-23.
Srikant Verma, Divisional Forest Officer at Ranchi has said that the population living near the forests can derive benefits from these trees in the coming decade.
“Forest land is a precious land resource which should be judiciously utilised. We are aiming to plant and promote MFP yielding varieties in forest lands as this will help in mixed plantations. The products can be utilised by people nearby,” he said.
CAMPA fund (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) will allot a sum of around Rs. 40 crores for plantation of MFP trees in 100-100 hectares of forest land. The plan is to cover 3000 hectares of forest land all across Jharkhand with these trees.
“We will start with 100-100 hectares of forest land first. If the result is beneficial then we will start the progression slowly. The plan is to cover around 2500-3000 hectares of land,” Verma added.
