Date:31/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/31/stories/2008103150270200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Carbon trading remuneration for ryots

P. Oppili

CHENNAI: Farmers in Tamil Nadu, who have given land for taking up ‘Tree Cultivation in Private Lands,’ implemented by the Forest Department, will get remuneration under carbon trading.

A non-governmental organisation will provide the remuneration to the farmers. It will be 37 paise per planted sapling per quarter.

Increased income

The programme will increase the income for farmers three fold—they could harvest the fruits and other benefits from the cultivated plants; and it would fetch them the revenue from the government and under carbon trading, said C.K. Sreedharan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Tamil Nadu. A. Joseph Rexon, Programme, TIST Tree Plantation India Private Limited, said that for getting the carbon trading benefits, the farmers had to sign a greenhouse gas agreement with TIST. Under it, they had to give the organisation the marketing rights of carbon credit.

“As long as the farmers keep the trees alive, they will get the payment from the TIST.”