Economic of fuelwood production in wastelands

India's more than half of the geographical area (329 million hectares) is officially estimated to be in various stages of degradation and 50 million hectares of this are not being put to any productive use but although wasted these lands have the potential for development. Considering the different qualities of wastelands, part of these can be reclaimed for the suit of good agriculture and others can be put to the growing of fuelwood on any substantial scale. The raising of fuelwood on these lands would ease the severe fuelwood shortages which are expected to be one-third of the requirement by the beginning of the next century

Extension of the fuelwood plantation programme on degraded wastelands require huge sums of financial resources - both for the land development and planting process. The financial implications cover the nursery development, establishment and annual maintenance required to be invested during the period of plantations till the trees are available to their end uses. The initial expenditure of fuelwood plantations on wastelands is higher economic returns and the are low but considering the fact that these lands are of low value with poor productivity, the soil and other extra market benefits through afforestating these lands are considerable. To get the best results, an integrated approach for coordinated and realistic programme is needed for the

development of eco-systems on these lands. An empirical approach in this book has been adopted to calculate the cost of raising the fourteen most promising fuelwood species in the wasteland areas. The cost-benefit ratios have been worked out for the funtwood species under different climatic regions of India. Finally the emphasis has been given on some of the alternative suggestions to deal with the problems of fuelwood scarcity and raising the plantations on wasteland tracts in the country.