Establishment of forest plantations

Dry Zone Greening Department has been carrying out the establishment of forest plantations aiming to fulfill the basic forest product needs of people such as firewood, poles and posts and agricultural appliances, to conserve the watershed areas of dams/ponds and rivers/streams, to regreen the mountains/ hills areas, so as to be supportive for agrilculture of the region and to conduct actions researches that will be of great supports to the dry zone forest plantations operations. The types of plantations established by dry zone greening department include:

(1) Village supply plantation
(2) Watershed plantation
(3) Mountains/hills greening plantation
(4) Other plantations
(5) Research plantations

In the fiscal year 2019-2020 (2020 rainy season), a total of 5576.422 acres (2256.7 ha) acres of forest plantations are being established.

(1)  Village Supply Plantation

Village supply plantations are established in order to assist the dry zone greening and to provide forest products to local people. Village supply plantations at the age of 5-year are handed over to the corresponding beneficiary villages allowing them to manage it and to utilize fuelwood/ poles/ posts from it in a sustainable manner.

In the establishment of such plantations, climate resistant, fast growing and high coppicing species such as Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Cassia siamea, Acacia auriculiformis (Aurisha), Acacia catechu (Cutch), Azadirachta indica (Neem) and Albizzia lebbek (Siris/Kokko) are selected. From the fiscal year 1997-1998 to the fiscal year 2018-2019, 189,054.64 acres (76507.698 ha) of village supply plantations were established. 1988 acres (804.52 ha) of village supply plantations are being established with Regional Government Budget in the fiscal year 2019-2020.

Since the fiscal year 2018-2019 (2018, rainy season), in accordance with the newly established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), plantations has been being established with the rate of 540 trees per acre using the spacing of (9′ ×9′). On the flat plain, the pit size of (3′ ×3′ × 1′) and the central pit size of (1′ ×1′ ×1′) is applied. While on slopes, the trench size of (4′ ×1.5′ ×1.5′) and the central pit size of (1′ ×1′ ×1′) is applied. According to Myanmar Reforestation and Rehabilitation Program (MRRP), it is planned to establish a total of 29276.47 acres (11847.77 ha) of village supply plantations during 10-year project period from 2017-2018 to 2026-2027.

Handing Over of 5-year-old village supply fuelwood plantations to the beneficiary villages

In accordance with the objectives of village supply fuelwood plantations, that is to provide the basic forest product needs of rural people such as agricultural appliances, fuelwoods, poles and posts, etc., since 2016 the Dry Zone Greening Department has handed over 5-year old village supply plantations to respective beneficiary villages annually. The amount of plantations handed over up to 2018-2019 and the amount of fuelwood, poles and posts extracted from handed-over plantations in line with the approved management plan is as follows:

(a) 5-year-old village supply plantations handed over to the beneficiary villages by region (up to 2018-2019)

(b) Status on extraction of forest products from handed-over (up to 2018-2019)

 (2) Watershed Plantation

Watershed Plantations are established for the purposes of greening, preventing soil erosion, retaining sufficient clean and fresh water sustainably in the streams, rivers, dykes and dams of the area, and balancing climatic conditions. The main priority species used in watershed plantations are Eucalyptus camadulensis, Acacia Catechu (Cutch)၊ Albizzia lebbek (Siris/Kokko), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Acacia leucophloea (White barked Acacia), Cassia siamea (Ringworn shrub/Maezali), Chukrasia tabularis (Yinmar) and Holptelea integrifolia (Shan camphor/Phyauk Seik). A total of 117452 acres (4753.14 ha) of watershed plantations have already been established between 1997-1998 to 2018-2019 fiscal years and 1200 acres (485.62 ha) are being established in 2019-2020 fiscal year with Union Government budget.

Since the fiscal year 2018-2019 (2018, rainy season), in accordance with the newly established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), plantations has been being established using triangular staking system with the rate of 403 trees per acre using the spacing of (12’×9′), the pit size (4′ ×1.5′ ×1.5′) and the central pit size (1′ ×1′ ×1′)is applied. According to Myanmar Reforestation and Rehabilitation Program (MRRP), it is planned to establish a total of 10700 acres (4330.14 ha) of watershed plantations during 10-year project period from 2017-2018 to 2026-2027.

(3)  Mountains/hills greening plantations

Mountains/hills greening plantations are established across the hills and mountain ranges of the dry zone which are under high degradation and in urgent need for greening. As the top soils of the hills and mountain ranges of the dry zone are highly deteriorated and it is difficult to restore and rehabilitate the forests naturally at these areas, the special efforts are needed to regreen hill-by-hill/mountain-by-mountain. The species which can grow under harsh climatic condition and on poor soil types or which can grow fast or can easily propagate either by seeds or by roots cuttings such as Prosopis juliflora, Acacia ararbia (Indian gum-arabic tree/Babul tree), Acacia catechu (Cutch), Tectona hamiltoniana (Dahat), Acacia leucophloea (White barked Acacia), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Leucaena glacua (Lead tree) are selected for mountains/hills greening plantations. From the fiscal year 1997-1998 to the fiscal year 2018-2019, 33623 acres (13606.75 ha) of mountains/hills greening plantations were established. 1000 acres (404.69 ha) of watershed plantations are being established with Union government budgetin the fiscal year 2019-2020.

Since the fiscal year 2018-2019, in accordance with the newly established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), plantations has been being established with the rate of 403 trees per acre using the spacing of (12′ ×9′), the pit size (4′ ×1.5′ ×1.5′) and the central pit size (1′ ×1′ ×1′) is applied. According to Myanmar Reforestation and Rehabilitation Program (MRRP), it is planned to establish a total of 11800 acres (4775.29 ha) of mountains/hills greening plantations will be established during the 10-year project period from 2017-2018 to 2026-2027.

(4)  Other types of plantations

Other types of plantations are established in all townships of dry zone for greening, recreation and aesthetic purposes. These plantations are established not only in the office compounds, school compounds and along the roadsides using shady and decorated trees but also in the vicinity of the villages as the woodlots with public participation. Aesthetic flowering plants and shady trees such as Cassia siamea (Ringworn shrub), Delonix regia (Flamboyant flower), Cassia renigera (Ngu-sat), Acacia auriculiformis (Aurisha), Casuarina equisetifolia (Beef wood) etc, are applied for this type of plantations. From the fiscal year 1997-1998 to the fiscal year 2018-2019, 45755 acres (18516.39 ha) of other types of plantations were established. 400 acres (161.87 ha) of other types of plantations are being establishedwith Union government budget in the fiscal year 2019-2020.

Since the fiscal year 2018-2019, in accordance with the newly established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), plantations have been being established with the rate of 1210 trees per acre using the spacing of (6′ ×6′), the pit size (3′ ×3′ ×1′) and the central pit size (1′ ×1′ ×1′) is applied. According to Myanmar Reforestation and Rehabilitation Program (MRRP), a total of 6600 acres (2670.93 ha) of other types of plantations will be established during 10-year project period from 2017-2018 to 2026-2027.

(5) Research Plantations

In the establishment of forest plantations for the purpose of making the dry zone green and providing forest products for rural people, it is necessary to establish research plantations to be able to select locally adaptable species, identify better land preparation options and seek new silvicultural techniques so as to ensure better results and performance out of the plantations. In collaboration with the Forest Research Institute under forest department (FD), between the fiscal year 1997-1998 and the fiscal year 2018-2019, a total of 405.75 acres (164.2 ha) of research plantations have been established.

(6) Work Calendar for Forest Plantations Establishment

The work Calendar for forest plantations establishment is as follows:

(7) List of permanent nurseries

In every townships under dry zone greening department working area, department owned forest nurseries were established to be able to raise required seedlings in time and quantity for forest plantations. List of permanent nurseries under dry zone greening department by region, district and township can be listed as follows: