COMMERCIAL FOREST PLANTATION DEVELOPMENT POLICY SOME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION

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COMMERCIAL FOREST PLANTATION DEVELOPMENT POLICY:
SOME MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION
Mangala De Zoysa
Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Ruhuna, Mapalana
In the millennium, the transition of forestry reflecting profound social, economic and
institutional changes is moving from the state dominant forest management to commercial
enterprises, which are oriented towards production forestry. Many countries are undergoing
dramatic shift in forest ownership pattern. Hence, the management strategies have tobe changed
from government managed forest to private forest plantation. The strategies should be revised,
adapted, updated and communicated to private owners.
Sri Lanka at present, produce only 90 percent of the estimated wood consumption in the country.
The demand is met by over exploiting the forest, which is not sustainable in the longrun.
Therefore the forest policy and the forestry sector master plan in 1996 have emphasized the
commercial forest plantation development to produce sufficient industrial and other woods by
private sector management to cater the increasing demand. At the verge of implementing the
new forest policy, it is vitally important to review the management strategies applicable to the
changing environment.
The paper attempts to discuss the following strategies required to achieve successful commercial
forest plantations. Boost the availability of suitable land; strengthen the commercial incentive
environment and make plantations more profitable and less risky for private investors;
Development of a plantation culture among government, growers and the community; and
improve information flows about plantation profitability and prospects.
oProceedings of the Seventh Annu~' Forestry IInd Environment Symposium 2001
of the Depllrtment of FOrestry /IfId Envlronmentlll Science
University of Sri JllyewllrdeneplJrIJ. Sri
Llmkil