Seedling production systems for smallholder forestry development: local practices versus national policies in the Philippines

The tree seedling nursery sector in the Philippines is influenced by a number of national level policies affecting the number and type of species produce d. Policies favour high-volume production of a limited range of mostly exotic sp ecies, and research indi cates that seedlings are often of low physical and genetic quality. Lo cal knowledge on best speci es for sites is not being communicated to people planting. A proj ect funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research is investig ating measures to improve the performance and effectiveness of the forestry seedling production system in Leyte and Mindanao in the Philippines. Seedlings are produced by government agencies, in community forestry projects and by individual private operators; the main customers are smallholder tree farmers. Communities and private individuals quickly se t up nurseries when there is a demand for seedlings, but these nurseries tend to be epheme ral and lack financial sustainability. While large nurseries offer opportunities for economies of scale, small nurseries operate on a low cost basis, and are more widely distribute d, and their seedlings are more accessible to smallholders, who lack transport facilities. Small private nurseries, while having limited access to new technology, often produce seedlings of quality similar to government and community nurseries. However, they require as sistance in access to high-quality germplasm and training in improved seed production technolo gy, to play a greater role in expansion of plantation forestry. This paper reports survey findings on seedling production systems, and examines the link between national level policies and local level practices

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