HT Correspondent
JORHAT, July 1: In a significant step towards enhancing Trees Outside Forests (TOF) and empowering farmers and tree growers to adopt TOF and agroforestry practices, a five-day training of TOF master trainers is being held from July 1-5 at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat.
The training program is organised by the Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Forest, government of Assam. Upon completion of the program, these TOF master trainers will mobilise a minimum of 100 farmers from their respective villages to disseminate the knowledge they have gained, promoting the adoption and dissemination of agroforestry practices on the ground.
Related Posts:
This initiative is part of the Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI) program, a five-year collaboration between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MOEFCC), implemented by CIFOR-ICRAF.
The program was inaugurated by Dr BC Deka, vice chancellor of Assam Agricultural University (AAU). In his address, Dr Deka emphasised the crucial role trees play in people’s lives and the myriad benefits agroforestry offers to farmers. He commended the TOFI initiative for aiding in income generation and taking significant steps toward mitigating the global climate crisis. Dr Deka also highlighted the potential economic benefits of carbon credits associated with agroforestry, which farmers can leverage.
Nandha Kumar, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Jorhat division in Assam, who attended the session, articulated the critical role of wood in the industry and the dynamics of wood supply and demand. He explained how recent deregulation of species in Assam would provide farmers with greater freedom regarding transit and felling constraints. Kumar also highlighted the involvement of farmers in the Amrit Brikshya Andolan in Assam, a significant initiative led by the chief minister.
Santanu Pujari, chairman of the Assam Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (AIIDC), underscored the importance of the TOFI initiative in developing the state’s wood-based industries and establishing sustainable infrastructure. He encouraged farmers, as major stakeholders, to contribute to a more sustainable and profitable future for the state through active participation in the initiative.
Dr AK Das, director (DPGS) of Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, and Rajib Bora, scientist – G from the Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI), Jorhat, also highlighted the importance of agroforestry models and practices during the session.
Altogether, 102 participants from various farmer-producer organisations (FPOs), NGOs, Self-Help Groups, and other institutions in Jorhat district are receiving rigorous and intensive training in the program. They are being trained by experts from the Department of Environment and Forest, Department of Agriculture, Rain Forest Research Institute, CIFOR-ICRAF, and various reputed agricultural, horticultural, and forestry institutions in Assam.
Representatives from the TOFI team, including Raju Sood, Dr Arup Jyoti Kalita, Manjil Barua, and Mini Niraj Kumar, are present to conduct the program.
