The Indian government has issued model rules to promote agroforestry and improve business environment for farmers.
In a notification dated June 18, 2025, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released the Model Rules for Felling Trees in Agricultural Lands with an objective to improve farmers’ income, mitigate climate change, enhance tree cover, reduce import of timber and ensure sustainable use.
The notification stated that a streamlined regulatory framework for promotion, maintenance, felling of trees and certification of timber produced from non-forest land is needed and it is important to encourage farmers, landowners and stakeholders to adopt agroforestry by creating effective market linkages.
The guidelines come in the backdrop of stakeholders lacking clear and synchronised rules for felling trees grown on agricultural land, impacting cultivation and marketing of agroforestry produce.
As per the norms, a state-level committee will be constituted to evaluate and verify the details of the applicant.
The applicant will have to register on National Timber Management System (NTMS) and update details and location of the agricultural land.
It would be responsibility of the applicant to provide the plantation details, including the name of the species, number of saplings, year and month of planation and height of seedlings. These details will be updated periodically by the state-level committee.
For felling of trees, the applicant will have to submit an online application providing details of the number of trees to be felled, including the date of felling.
The verifying agencies will assess the details and submit a report on the quantity of timber that can be potentially harvested.
For up to 10 trees, the applicant will have to upload photos of the trees on the portal which would compute the circumference and girth of the tree. The photos will be use to identify the species and estimate potential yield.
Post felling, the applicant will be required to upload photos of the stumps on the NTMS portal.
“The verifying agency, upon issuance of the verification report, shall generate a felling permit for agricultural lands with more than 10 trees, in a prescribed format,” the notification said, adding that a No Objection Certificate for felling of trees shall be issued to the applicant automatically through the portal for agricultural land with less than 10 trees.
The Divisional Forest Officers will periodically supervise and monitor the functioning of the verifying bodies.