Sales of forest produce to boost revenue: APSFDC

Rajamahendravaram: Andhra Pradesh State Forest Development Corporation (APSFDC) Chairman Dr D Sivaram has said that the corporation is making efforts to develop afforestation in degraded forest areas in the state besides increasing its income sources by selling forest produce.

Addressing media at a private hotel here on Tuesday, he said the government has given 1.20 lakh acres of degraded forest land to the corporation to plant various varieties of plants. 

Along with APSFDC, the forest department and social forestry wing have also been developing the forest area in the state, he said. Relating to APSFDC's Rajamahendravaram region, he said over 16,917.03 hectares of land was available, of it 8,433.37 hectares of land available in Rajamahendravaram division and 8,433,66 hectares of land in Eluru division. 

For 2018-19 season the region has spent Rs 1,951.10 lakh towards establishment and development activities and generated revenue to the tune of Rs 1,951.10 lakh, he added.

Since 1978, APFDC has raised many plantations in the region including eucalyptus in 12,053 hectares, teak in 754.35 hectares, bamboo 2,261.85 hectares, cashew in 1,362 hectares, medicinal 323.11 hectares, pines in 118 hectares and other species in 43.27 hectares. 

Plantation works of eucalyptus and bamboo were in progress, he said. He hoped the region will get an income of Rs 7,980 lakh by selling 1.90 lakh metric tonnes of eucalyptus pulpwood and Rs 777 lakh by selling15.55 lakh numbers of bamboo pulpwood.

He said that the region was generating 4.14 lakhs mandays through development activities. In this season, he said it was proposed to plant eucalyptus plants in 373 hectares during this season. APFDC directors PMVP Reddy, GSN Raju, general manager Gurumurthi and regional manager P Rammohan Rao were present.