Government of Andhra Pradesh
(Forest
Department)
Ref. No. 3048/V1/2004.
Date: 30-01-2004
|
Office of the Principal Chief Conservator
of Forests - Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad.
|
SRI S.K. DAS, I.F.S.,
PRINCIPAL CHIEF CONSERVATOR
OF FORESTS
CIRCULAR
No. 1/2004.
Sub: Departmental
Extraction of Eucalyptus Plantations. -
Management of Eucalyptus Plantations
for maximum returns – Certain guidelines – Issued – Reg.
*****
1.
It bought to the notice of all the Officers that Eucalyptus Plantation, which have been
raised under different schemes in the department in the past with
the main objective of meeting
the pulpwood requirement of Wood based Industries, have been
rendered commercially non-viable in many cases sue to surplus
production of pulpwood in the Farm sector under Agro-Forestry
programmers. This is evident from the fact that there was glut
in the price of pulpwood for the last 5-6 years. However, there
is an upward trend in the recent past.
2.
It is further brought to notice of all Officers that the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd., Kothagudem,
a fully owned state Government company, requires Eucalyptus
wood of high girth classes for making use as Props and Chocks in their mining operations. The rate of wood for
Props and Chocks
would be at least four
times more than that of the Pulpwood
of the same weight.
3.
It is therefore urged to maintain the potentially good Eucalyptus
Plantations, wherever the conditions are favourable, for a period of 1 to 3 years more beyond the
present rotation are in order to get maximum number of props and
chocks. It has therefore been felt appropriate to issue suitable
guidelines for the field level functionaries in order to simplify
the job of converting the Eucalyptus tree after felling into Props
and Chocks as as to get maximum financial returns to the Department
as well as the members of Vana Smarakshana Samithies (VSSs).
4.
Following are the Options
to market the Eucalyptus wood: -
a.
Eucalyptus Props: Specification
are as follows:
Length 2.70
– 4.90 Meters
Thinner
and girth over bark
36 cm – 44 cm
Mid
girth over bank
Not more than 55 cm
b.
Eucalyptus Chocks: Specification
are as follows:
Length 1.22
Meters
Mid
girth (Under bark)
40 – 60 cm
It is further informed that on an average
60 Chocks will admeasure
to 1 CMt. In volume. The rate for Props per CMt will be higher
than that for Chocks. But the demand for Props is limited and
demand of chocks is higher. But the
fact remains that the rate for chocks is much higher than that
of the Eucalyptus pulpwood in the present market situation. Therefore
it is advisable to try to extract maximum number of Chocks once
the Props are extracted.
5.
It is clear from Para 4 that only when thinner end girth of the
stem is 36 cm – 44 cm,
it can be converted as a Prop
provided it has the requisite length of 2.70
M to 4.90 M. The length of a particular stem may be 10.00
M, 9.0 M or 8.00 etc. When the thinner end girth is 36 cm – 44
cm. The question that naturally arises as to what will be the
best possible way of conversation into props and chocks giving
maximum financial returns? The
answer is Illustrated in the following table which should
invariably be followed by all field officers as Ready Reckoner,
which has been formulated by the
Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Andhra Pradesh Forest
Development Limited, Hyderabad in his Circular Dated 01-05-2000.
6.
Immediately after felling a tree, the point where the thinner and girth is 36 cm (O.B) should be marked
and the length of the stem up to this point measured. When
the length varies from 2.70 M to 10.00 M the best possible conversation
may be seen in Ready Reckoner Table given below.
SL_No
|
Length in Meters
|
Props Length (M)
|
No.
|
Chocks
|
Value in Rs. (app)
|
Total Value in Rs.
|
1
|
10.00 to 9.90
|
4.50
2.70
|
1
2
|
-
-
|
150.00
208.00
|
358.00
|
2
|
9.80 to 9.40
|
4.00
2.70
|
1
2
|
-
-
|
132.25
208.00
|
340.25
|
3
|
9.30 to 8.90
|
3.50
2.70
|
1
2
|
-
-
|
106.00
208.00
|
314.00
|
4
|
8.80 to8.50
|
4.50
4.00
|
1
1
|
-
-
|
150.00
282.25
|
132.25
|
5
|
8.45
|
4.50
4.00
|
1
1
|
1
|
150.00
104.00
28.00
|
282.25
|
6
|
8.40 to 8.00
|
4.00
|
2
|
-
|
132.25
132.25
|
264.5
|
7
|
7.75
|
4.00
2.70
|
1
1
|
1
-
1
|
132.25
104.00
28.00
|
264.5
|
8
|
7.90 to 7.20
|
2.50
2.70
|
1
1
|
-
|
150.00
104.00
|
254.0
|
9
|
7.10 to 6.70
|
4.00
2.70
|
1
1
|
-
|
132.25
104.00
|
236.25
|
10
|
6.65
|
2.70
|
2
|
1
|
104.00
104.00
28.00
|
236.00
|
11
|
6.60 to 6.20
|
3.50
2.70
|
1
1
|
-
|
106.00
104.00
|
210.00
|
12
|
6.10 to 5.40
|
2.70
|
2
|
-
|
104.00
104.00
|
208.00
|
13
|
5.30
|
4.00
|
1
|
1
|
132.25
28.00
|
160.25
|
14
|
5.20
|
2.70
|
1
|
2
|
104.00
28.00
28.00
|
160.00
|
15
|
5.10 to 4.50
|
4.50
|
1
|
-
|
1540.00
|
150.00
|
16
|
4.40 to 4.00
|
4.00
|
1
|
-
|
132.25
|
132.25
|
17
|
3.90 to 3.50
|
3.50
|
1
|
-
|
106.00
|
106.00
|
18
|
3.40 to 2.70
|
2.70
|
1
|
-
|
104.00
|
104.00
|
7.
Copies of the above table should be supplied to all the field staff and Officers. The
Conservator of Forests and Divisional Forest Officers are requested
to demonstrate in the field about the conversation of Eucalyptus
trees into props and chocks with the use of this table to the
Forest Range Officers, Forest Section Officers, Forest Beat Officers
and the Assistant Beat Officers who are engaged in harvesting
of Eucalyptus Plantations.
8.
It is pertinent to mention here that we do not have the choice
to extract any number of Props as the requirement of the SCC Ltd.
Has entered into MOU with the Andhra Pradesh Forest Development
Corporation Limited for supply of Props and Chocks every year
for a period of ten years from 2000-01 onwards. Only
the requirement of SCC Ltd, in excess of the supply from Andhra
Pradesh Development Corporation Limited, can be met from the Forest
Department and therefore the Conservator of Forests / Divisional
Forest Officers are requested to ascertain the requirement of
Props and Chocks from SCC Ltd, before taking up the harvesting
plan; as otherwise, if the Chocks and Props are reconverted into
pulpwood for want of demand, the Government will be put to heavy
financial loss. The balance quantity shall be utilized for conversation
into pulpwood or Faggot wood as the case may
be.
9.
The last but the most important
point is not only to follow the above instruction the conversation
of Eucalyptus wood to the maximum financial advantage of the Department
but to maintain certain potentially good Eucalyptus plantations
beyond the present rotation age the 8th year for period
of 1.2 or 3 years more so that the maximum number of plant population
attains the girth convertible into Props and Chocks which
will result in additional revenues to the Government and additional
income to the VSS. It should be mentioned here that such
plantations should be maintained only after carrying out the pro-harvesting
operations like uprootal of miscellaneous growth, carrying
out Soil and Moisture Conservation measures and ploughing
the area in between the rows of the Eucalyptus Plantation across the slope. The Conservators of Forests are requested to see
that a register is maintained in the Division Office of such Plantations.
All the Conservators of Forests are requested to acknowledge
the receipt of the circular instructions by return of post.
Sd/- S. K. Das, IFS
Prl. Chief Conservator
of Forests
To
All the Conservator of Forests (T&WL) for information and
necessary action.
Copies
to all the Divisional Forest Officers (T, LD & WL), through
Conservators of Forests, in the Head Office.
Copy to the Stock File.
// TRUE COPY //
for Prl. Chief Conservator
of Forests