BANGKOK (NNT) - The National Forestry Policy Committee has announced that citizens may now plant and harvest valuable trees on Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) land, in a bid to promote the cultivation of valuable trees and spur revenue.


Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan chaired the committee meeting via teleconference. The body agreed to a national forest development master plan and the addition of Agar and Bantigue to the Protected Woods Act due to their endangered status, with Agar to be a normal protected species and Bantigue to be a special protected species.


The committee then acknowledged a declaration allowing protected tree species to be planted on ALRO land and later harvested for commerce. The declaration has been in effect since Dcember 17, 2020 and is relevant to two million citizens who own a combined 35 million rai of ALRO land, empowering them to grow, harvest and process protected tree species without having to seek official authorization. Gen Prawit instructed the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, to ensure that the declaration is implemented as intended, so that the public receives the utmost benefit and is encouraged to plant valuable trees for commercial as well as conservation purposes.

National News Bureau Of Thailand