Webinar on “Income Enhancement from Agroforestry” [16th September, 2021]

The agroforestry plays an important role providing both tangible and intangible benefits to human besides playing an important role in environmental security environmental security. As most of the people are not aware of its direct and indirect benefits and Agroforestry extension is the need of hour.

Towards this end,  the Extension Division of Forest Research Institute, Dehradun organized a webinar on 16^th September, 2021 on “Income Enhancement from Agroforestry” At the outset, Mrs. Richa Misra, Head Extension Division welcomed all the participants and requested the Chief Guest Shri Arun Singh Rawat, IFS Director General, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehradun to inaugurate the webinar and give his opening remarks. In his address, Arun Singh Rawat, IFS spoke about the possibilities of employment generation and livelihood improvement through agroforestry. He mentioned that there is a need to develop viable agroforestry models by introducing some new species and the institute has already developed such type of models with new genetically improved species like Melia dubia. He also stated that there should be an incumbance system for harvesting, transportation and trading of agroforestry produce. During technical session, the first speaker, Dr. Avatar Singh, Principal Silviculturist and Former Head, Department of Forestry & Natural Resources, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana gave inputs on “Agroforestry and scope of Resource generation”. He spoke about Poplar, Eucalyptus and Melia dubia based agroforestry systems with their economic valuation and employment generation. The second speaker, Dr. Arvind Bijalwan, Director Academics from Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Uttarakhand University of Horticulture & Forestry, Ranichauri expressed his views on “Agroforestry for Productivity, Profitability and Income Enhancement”. He gave a detailed account of Hill agroforestry with economic evaluation of farm income. He mentioned that modernization of agroforestry with tree crop diversification is necessary for income enhancement. The webinar concluded with the vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Charan Singh, Scientist-F of Extension Division.

The webinar was attended by total 50 officers, scientists and staff from Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education, Dehradun and its institutes and FRI Deemed University, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun, Central Forest Academy of State Services, Dehradun, Forest Survey of India, ICAR- Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Dehradun and other organizations.