Dehradun (The Hawk): India is one of the leading producers and consumers of wood in the Asian region. The growing population, rapid industrialization and other technological developments have created significant
demand for a wide range of wood, which resulted in frequent and large scale imports. The low productivity of India’s forests coupled with legal restrictions in obtaining wood from natural forests
created a huge gap in demand and supply, which increased attention towards establishment of agroforstry to meet the raw material requirements for domestic consumption and industrial utility. Now, Agroforestry has the potential to fulfill the gap between demand and supply. The Extension Division, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun organized an online seminar where subject experts expressed their views and suggested effective strategies for adoption of agroforestry and establishment its linkages to wood based industries on sustainable basis. At the outset, Dr. Charan
Singh, Scientist-F, invited Mrs. Richa Misra, IFS, Head Extension Division for welcome address and opening remarks on the seminar. Mrs. Richa Misra welcomed the all resource persons, participants and invited Dr. Renu Singh, IFS, Director of the institute for inaugural address. Dr. Renu Singh, FRI spoke at length about the forest resources in the country and how the trees outside forest are contributing substantially in helping meet up the supply demand of timber for construction and other wood based industries. 
She spoke about the low productivity of the available species along with poor quality planting material, inadequate extension and restrictive legislation policies which have been responsible
for agroforestry not being taken up in a big way by farmers. She wished the webinar success & hoped that it would result in clear action points and deliverables for future course action. Subject experts, Dr. Arvind Bijalwan, HoD and Director Academics, VCSG Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry, Rani Chouri, Dr. A. K. Handa, Principal Scientist, Central Agroforestry
Research Institute, Jhansi, Dr. Ashok Kumar, Scientist-G, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, Dr. Devendra Pandey, IFS, Former Director General Forest Survey of India, Dehradun, Shri Dharmendra Kumar Daukia, Vice President, Green Panel Industries Ltd, Tirupati and Shri Pradeep Bakshy, Progressive Farmer, Yamunanagar, Haryana expressed their views and suggested way out and strategies for sustainable agriculture and hurdle free wood supply to wood based industries. The seminar concluded with the vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Charan Singh, Scientist-F Extension Division of the institute. Dr. Devendra Kumar, Scientist-E and Rambir Singh, Scientist-E worked as rappoteurs during the seminar. Other team members of Extension Division including Shri Vijay Kumar, Pritpal Singh, Mrs. Poonam Pant, Shri Ramesh Singh and Public Liaison Office, Shri Virendra Rawat and Shri Neelesh Yadav and supporting staff IT Cell of the institute did a commendable work to make the programme successful.
