COST OF RAISING A TREE UNDER SOCIAL FORESTRY

There is no standardization of cost structure in social forestry. Alth ough, investment in raising tree plantation is one method, there is an urgent need to develop and standarize the methodology for estimating the cost of raising tree plantation, hence this study. In an attempt t o arrive at such methodology, three models of social forestry programm e namely: farm forestry, community forestry and strip plantation, were studied with reference to operating costs and administrative costs in volved in their implementation. Operational costs in community forestr y and strip plantations covered all expenditure on planting operations since site preparation till handing over to social forestry committee . Administrative costs on the other hand included salary and allowance s of social forestry officials working at various stages of social for estry programming, salary and allowances of other staff, infrastructur e development, extension and publicity and other miscellaneous items. For computation of cost of a tree, the cumulative expenses under these heads incurred during the initial three years of plantation vis-a-vis survival rate were considered.