IP-APPM is a leading promoter of farm forestry, whose sustainable farm forestry initiatives have benefitted small and marginal farmers of barren and non-fertile land while proving to be a catalyst in battling deforestation.

Taking a major step towards this initiative, Rythukosam Smart Card is being launched to enable direct transfer of the monetary benefits of the farm forestry harvest to the farmers’ bank account. The smart card is a voluntary scheme and is available to those who follow the best practices of pulpwood cultivation promoted by IP-APPM.

Website to educate farmers

In an effort to connect better with farmers who have been associated for more than 50 years, the website, www.rythukosam.com, is being launched to educate farmers, part of the Farm Forestry programme, on the best practices in tree plantation. The portal is available in English as well as in Telugu to prevent the language barrier within the farmer community.

The initiative was launched by Murali Mohan Maganti, MP, Rajahmundry and Rampraveen Swaminathan, chairman and managing director, International Paper APPM and President, IP India. Other dignitaries present on the occasion included G Butchaiah Chowdary, MLA, Rajahmundry (Rural), A Satyanarayana, MLA, Rajahmundry (Urban), other government officials and IP’s senior management.

The portal can be accessed from any location using internet facility. The portal is mobile-friendly as well. IP-APPM has made arrangements for providing access to the portal at its Clonal Propagation Centers as well.

Rythukosam is a unique initiative of International Paper which will not only enable farmers to learn the best farming techniques but also connect to the Digital India programme of the Central government. The initiative, which is possibly the only such programme for farmers under farm forestry, also details the techniques for growing Casuarina saplings for high yields without impacting the productivity of the soil. Inter cropping along with Casuarina saplings to increase farmer’s earnings based on several studies are also covered. The farmers also have an option of using the Comparison Calculator in the portal to calculate the profit they can make by growing either Casuarina or any other alternate crop.

Rythukosam Smart Card

Rythukosam Smart Card, issued free to farmers who follow the prescribed practice in the fields, will have the details of the farmer and his plantations, including GPS coordinates recording in the company database. A pre-defined credit policy will be linked with the number of saplings purchased by the farmer from the IP-APPM CPC (Clonal propagation Centers) and benefit of this credit would be given to him during repurchase of sapling from IP-APPM CPC in the next cycle for the same GPS coordinate acreage.

Later, when the farmers sell the produce to IP-APPM after specified period, this card will be used to quantify the sale of wood to IP-APPM. These cards will be linked with farmer’s bank accounts so that the monetary benefit can be directly transferred to the farmer’s account. The system will improve transparency and empower farmers with high levels of information. The farmers who opt for the Smart Card scheme are free to sell the wood in open market based on prevailing market prices. Around 300 farmers were issued Rythukosam Smart Card during the launch event.

Launching the programme, Swaminathan said, “Empowering farmers who partner with us in farm forestry is a foundational part of our strategy. Rythukosam is yet another step in the same direction. Through this initiative, we aim to acquaint farmers with the technically proven scientific methods of farming which will help improve productivity and their economic potential. The smart card programme helps build an important bridge and ongoing relationship with the farmers and helps them gain long term economic benefits. We expect to gradually cover all the farmers involved in Casuarina and Subabul plantations in the coming days. Using digital channels helps us improve the quality and timeliness of information availability which can be of huge long term value to the farmers.”

IP-APPM had launched its pioneering farm forestry programme for Clonal plantations in 1980s. The programme, which is currently country’s largest farm forestry programme, has so far planted over 1.75 billion saplings in an area of over 2.52 lac hectares. Around 55,000 small scale farmers having marginal, fallow and barren lands are covered. International Paper also works with Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) in the field of forest sustainability, which includes entailing action research, capacity building and academic exchange involving experts and researchers from both International Paper and Indian Institute of Forest Management.

IP-APPM, a group company of International Paper in India, is a leading manufacturer of pulp and paper products and caters to both domestic and foreign markets with sales of Rs 113,494.91 lakh for the year ended March 31, 2015. IPAPPM produces writing, printing and copier papers at its two manufacturing units in Andhra Pradesh, which have a total paper production capacity of 240,000 metric tonnes per year.