New Delhi India has potential to make forest produce like wood and paper as major foreign exchange earner and UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) is ready to extend knowledge and technological assistance for the same, a top FAO official said on Thursday.

“India can turn wood and paper as its major export items by pursuing a sustainable forestry policy,” Eduardo Rojas Sriales, assistant director general, forestry department, FAO,

CHENNAI: Forest and tree cover has declined in Tamil Nadu and the State has not prepared its own forest policy even though five years have passed since a recommendation to do this was made by the National Forest Commission, says a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

The report - released by principal accountant generals Suhasini Srinivasan and S Murugiah at the office of the the Principal Accountant General on Wednesday - states that the state achieved only 22 per cent forest and tree cover against the target of 25 per cent, by 2007.

This despite the recommendation of National Forest Commission''

The State has failed to frame its own forest policy even six years after the National Forest Commission recommended that each State should have its own policy for sustainable development of forests and wildlife resources. The Comptroller and Audit General (CAG) Report (Civil) for the year ended March 2011, which was tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday, has found that the State had failed in its set targets in improving the forest cover and in allocation for the sector during the XI Plan period.

JAIPUR: Even though a good two years have passed since the state government announced its first-ever forest policy in 2010, the notification is still awaiting active implementation.

The Rajasthan State Forest Policy 2010 had acknowledged the importance of Orans that are considered repositories of rich biodiversity and an excellent example of people's religious faith linked with conservation. The aim of the forest policy was to preserve ecological balance through increasing vegetal cover which would help in reducing soil erosion and consequently dust particle in upper stratosphere.

Agartala, April 5: Production of bamboo-based products like handicrafts, furniture and sticks for Agarbatti-making in Tripura has grown three-fold to Rs 93.05 crore since 2006-07.

Expressing satisfaction at the growth rate, State’s Forest Minister Jitendra Chowdhury, said there had been a commensurate increase in the revenue also.