Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The "Trees Outside Forest" programme was held at Dharapur and organized by the Gauhati University NSS Cell in association with TOFI, Assam Chapter.
The director of the Students' Welfare, Gauhati University, Dr. Ranjan Kr. Kakati, inaugurated the programme and said, "Maximum plantation should be done in the vacant places to cover a greener environment and enhance the farmer's economy as far as possible. Every sustainable development from every farmer makes our society healthy and wealthy."
Attending as resource person, Doli Choudhury, said that TOFI adopts a threefold strategy to increase the area of trees outside the forest, strengthening the enabling environment to improve laws, regulations, policies, certifications, and standards to scale up trees outside the forest, increasing access to finance, insurance, etc., and bridging the gaps in technical and market information through extension services, knowledge, data, monitoring, and decision tools.
Choudhury also explained about agroforestry, which is a smart way of farming that combines trees with crops and animals on the same piece of land. The Agricultural Development Officer, Dharapur, Bhabesh Sarma, also spoke to the farmers about the benefits of plantations. TOFI official Manash Bora explained the IEC material and helpline numbers that can be beneficial for the agri-farmers.
The programme has been coordinated by GU NSS volunteer Bandita Deka, and Sikha Saikia offered a vote of thanks. Around 100 farmers and several NSS volunteers attended the programme.
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