Sandalwood cultivation to boost farmers' income in Prayagraj, Bundelkhand region
Efforts have been launched to make Prayagraj and its neighbouring Bundelkhand region comprising Jhansi, Jalaun, Lalitpur, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Banda and Chitrakoot districts as prominent centres of highly lucrative white sandalwood cultivation. Currently, only a few farmers in select districts like Jalaun and Chitrakoot have started sandalwood cultivation, albeit on a small scale.
For this purpose, a dedicated project is set to begin from June 2025 under the agro-forestry initiative, courtesy the Forest Research Centre for Eco-Rehabilitation, Prayagraj, a forestry research institution under Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun, officials said.
White 'chandan' or white sandalwood farming involves cultivating Santalum album trees, a valuable resource for its fragrant wood and oil. Key aspects include selecting suitable land and climate, choosing the right seeds or seedlings, proper planting techniques, and adequate maintenance, they added.
Officials are of the view that the high demand for sandalwood and its high prices can become a major source of income for farmers. Presently, states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh remain the top Sandalwood cultivation centres of the country, they said.
Confirming the initiative, head of the Forest Research Centre for Eco-Rehabilitation, Prayagraj, Sanjay Singh said that the central government had sanctioned a budget of ₹27 lakh for the purpose.
Project coordinator Alok Yadav said this is a five-year project in which work will be done from setting up sandalwood nurseries and imparting training to farmers for its cultivation.
Under this project, the research centre will train 100 farmers every year for sandalwood cultivation. Along with farmers, the forest department personnel who prepare the nurseries will also be trained so that they can also plant them in forest areas after growing saplings in their department's nurseries, he added.
White sandalwood grows well in well-drained, rich loamy soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5. The hot and humid climates with clear sunlight, temperatures between 10&40°C, and 500-3000 mm annual rainfall are suitable for it, Yadav said.
Project coordinator Anubha Srivastava said that after training the farmers, they would also be taken on a tour to places where sandalwood is being successfully cultivated in large quantities.
Both project coordinators said that there was a huge demand for sandalwood oil and wood in the market, especially in the fragrance or attar producing centre of Kannauj in U.P.
The scientists said the sandalwood cultivation model of agro-forestry would also be used in the Bundelkhand region of the state.
An important aspect is that after a survey, it has been found that sandalwood trees exist inside natural forests of Bundelkhand region.
Sandalwood can be grown alongside plants like turmeric, yam, and pigeon pea because it relies on them as hosts for growth and development. Sandalwood is a root parasite, which means it needs to tap into another plant's roots to obtain nutrients. While sandalwood can survive without a host, its growth, girth, and height are significantly better when growing alongside host plants like these. Therefore, till the sandalwood tree gets ready in 15-odd years, farmers' income can continue to come from these supporting crops, they shared.
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