Assessing the merits of community level seedling production and distribution

One of the challenges facing projects that promote onfarmtree planting or forest plantations is how to provideseeds and seedlings at reasonable cost to planting sites.This can be overcome if planting is done on forest blocksites through the forestry department’s central nursery.Earlier attempts to promote community tree plantingbased on central nurseries operated by extension agentsor non-governmental organizations (NGOs) proved bothcostly and ineffective. To reduce costs, there are continuedefforts to decentralise seedling production anddistribution to community levels through groups or centralnurseries organized in schools, camps belonging tocommunity chiefs and privately managed nurseries.In the past, group nurseries often did not survive pastthe group formation or project support stage. Centralnurseries, also, were sometimes abandoned when fundingpriorities changed. Yet, there are success stories andmany farmers continue to be effectively reached throughsuch nurseries. Certain group nurseries, for instance,were left under the management of a single individualyet continue to supply seedlings to the community.Privately owned nurseries, in contrast, have been ableto survive for longer periods, albeit with little supportfrom developmental organizations. Depending on theoperating scenario, all three types (group, central andprivate) are feasible seedling supply alternatives and canevolve along with the awareness and tree planting cultureof the community.

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