NEW DELHI, 28 June 2025: In a bid to promote agroforestry, boost farmers’ incomes, and strengthen India’s climate resilience, the Centre has released a set of model rules to simplify the felling of trees on agricultural lands.
In a letter sent to all state governments on June 19, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change stated that the new Model Rules for Felling of Trees in Agricultural Lands are designed to improve the ease of doing business in agroforestry, reduce procedural delays, and encourage farmers to integrate trees into their farming systems.
Officials said agroforestry supports multiple objectives, including enhancing tree cover outside forests, reducing timber imports, promoting sustainable land use, and contributing to India’s Paris Agreement climate commitments.
One of the longstanding obstacles to agroforestry has been the complex and varied permissions required by farmers to harvest trees on their own farmland, leading to uncertainty for buyers and restricting market access for farmers.
According to the ministry, the State Level Committee (SLC) already formed under the Wood-Based Industries (Establishment and Regulation) Guidelines, 2016 will also oversee the implementation of these model rules. The committee will now include representatives from the revenue and agriculture departments and will advise state governments on promoting agroforestry, streamlining permissions, and improving the marketing of timber produced from agricultural lands.
The rules provide for empanelled agencies to verify applications and facilitate the transit of timber. Farmers will be required to register their plantation land on the National Timber Management System (NTMS) portal, uploading ownership details, location, and plantation information, such as species, planting date, and the average height of saplings.
For plantations with more than 10 trees, farmers will have to apply online through the NTMS with detailed data on the trees proposed to be felled. A field inspection will be conducted by the empanelled agency, which will then submit a report to generate the felling permit.
For those seeking to fell up to 10 trees, the application process is simpler, requiring only photographs uploaded to the NTMS to record tree girth, height, and species. After felling, farmers must upload stump photographs to confirm compliance. In these cases, a no objection certificate (NOC) will be issued automatically by the portal, though the department reserves the right to verify on site.
The divisional forest officer will monitor the functioning of verifying agencies, submitting quarterly reports to the SLC on their performance.
Currently, states have varied regulations governing tree felling on agricultural land. Some states exempt certain tree species from requiring permits, while others still require clearance depending on the species or region. The model rules seek to harmonise these processes and create a more predictable regulatory environment.
Officials highlighted that many farmers struggle to get fair prices for timber because buyers worry about the legal status of harvested wood. Lack of traceable, standardised documents makes it difficult to prove that timber came from legitimate sources, affecting both domestic and international sales.
By creating a digital trail through the NTMS, the new system aims to build confidence among buyers and ensure that timber from agricultural lands is certified as legal and sustainable. This could help farmers secure better prices, especially in overseas markets, as it aligns with global regulations such as the EU Deforestation Regulation, which requires importers to prove that their timber is not linked to deforestation post-2020.
Officials believe the initiative will transform agroforestry into a modern, well-regulated sector that boosts farmer income while contributing to environmental sustainability.
Readers can access the Model Rules for Felling of Trees on Agricultural Lands at this link.
Image credit: globalgreenews.com
