Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

Small-Scale Tree Farming
in Asia
P H I L I P P I N E S
L E A R N I N G
V I S I T
19-23 March 2006

JAVA, INDONESIA
T O
I N D O N E S I A
SPARK (Sharing and Promotion of Awareness and Regional Knowledge on Community-Based Natural Resource Management) is a programme of the
Voluntary Service Overseas, an international volunteer sending organization based in the United Kingdom. VSO implements the programme through
existing organizations that serve as the hub for SPARK in each country. Environmental Science for Social Change is the SPARK hub organization
in the Philippines. In 2005, ESSC and VSO entered into a programme partnership agreement that covers an expanded range of activities. Through
the new partnership agreement, ESSC is able to organize learning visits, dealing with CBNRM, livelihoods, and NRM policy in VSO-SPARK focus areas.
VSO and ESSC are working closely together to ensure the long-term sustainability of the benefits of the programme.
SPARK aims to promote community-based approaches to natural resource management and sustainable livelihoods in the Philippines, Indonesia, and
Thailand. The programme supports local administrations and peoples organizations in implementing CBNRM activities. SPARK offers an integrated
package of component activities that include volunteer development workers (VDWs), small grants, conferences and workshops, research, study tours,
scholarships, programme newsletter, and a directory of CBNRM practitioners.
Environmental Science for Social Change
1/F MO Building, Ateneo University Campus, Loyola Heights, 1108 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel. (63-2) 4265961; Contact person: Mariel de Jesus; Email: marieldejesus@essc.org.ph
ARuPA (Volunteers Alliance for Saving the Nature) is a civil society organization that started in 1998 as an action committee for students and
junior environmentalists to encourage reforms in the management of natural resources in Indonesia. ARuPAs vision is the establishment of a civil
society that is socially, economically, and politically empowered, in order to implement an equitable, democratic, and sustainable natural resource
management to achieve social welfare. Its mission is to develop community- based forest resource management through research activities, local
institution empowerment, community assistance, and campaigns. Based in Yogyakarta, ARuPA connects with several networks dealing with forestry
issues.
Alliansi Relawan untuk Peyelamatan Alam (ARuPA)
Jl. Magelang Km. 5 Ds. Karanganyar, RT. 10 RW 29 No. 200 A, Sinduadi Mlati Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Tel. +62 (274) 551571; Contact person: N. Juni Adi; Email: skiper@arupa.or.id
The Asia Forest Network supports the role of communities in the protection and sustainable use of natural forest. AFN is comprised of a select coalition
of Asian planners, foresters, and scientists from government agencies, universities and non-government organizations. Solidarity of AFN members is
based on a common commitment to exploring alternative management strategies for Asias natural forestlands. AFNs research emphasis includes the
ecology of natural regeneration, the economics of non-timber forest product systems, and the community organizations and institutional arrangements
that support participatory management. Lessons stemming from this research are used to inform field implementation procedures, reorient training,
and guide policy reform.
For more information and comments about Asia Forest Network and its publications, please contact:
Asia Forest Network
Rizal Street, Sacred Heart Village, Tagbilaran City 6300, Bohol, Philippines
Tel/Fax: (63 38) 235 5800; Email: afn@asiaforestnetwork.org; www.asiaforestnetwork.org
This learning visit has been made possible with the support of the Voluntary Service Overseas-SPARK Programme funded by the European
Union. The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the authors and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the
position of the EU.
Executive Summary
The SPARK Learning Visit of Filipinos to Java, Indonesia from 20-25 March
2006 focused on small-scale tree farming in Asia. The activity emerged from a
previous visit to the Caraga Region, Philippines organized by the
Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC) for the Philippine Working
Group (PWG) on Community-Based Natural Resource Management
(CBNRM).
In the Philippines, particularly in Caraga, tree farming on private lands is
recognized for its potential income-generating benefits, and is widely
practiced as a livelihood activity. However, the small-scale tree farmers in the
Philippines are not as yet organized as part of a sustainable wood-producing
industry. There is no policy that covers tree farming on private lands in the
Philippines, and therefore the tree farmers have minimal support for their
activities. As a follow-up to the PWG visit, the Voluntary Service OverseasSharing and Promotion of Awareness and Regional Knowledge on CBNRM
programme (SPARK) offered support to an activity wherein tree farmers from
the Philippines could learn from areas where small-scale tree farming on
private lands has been successful. ESSC organized the visit in collaboration
with Asia Forest Network.
There are not many areas in Asia where tree farming is practiced on private,
small-scale farm lands. Seven potential learning areas were identified, but it
was determined that Java, Indonesia would provide the best comparison with
the Philippine situation. Such an international learning visit would provide the
opportunity to learn from the initiatives of Indonesian tree farmers and identify
what mechanisms must be established in the Philippines in order to enable
the kind of growth that farm forestry has in Indonesia.
The visit generated the following reflections:
Tree farm management: The group from the Philippines was exposed to the
traditional practice of agroforestry, wherein Indonesian farmers cultivate highly
diverse forest gardens. In the Philippines, farmers place a premium on
wood production. The visit to the hutan rakyat (peoples forest) areas in
Bogoran revealed the benefits of having a wide range of crops that can serve
as interim sources of livelihood while waiting for trees to reach maturity. The
Indonesian farmers and wood processing plants also shared techniques on
how to minimize wood wastage.
Governance: Both the Philippines and Indonesia are countries that have gone
through a process of decentralization in natural resource management.
Discussions however revealed that timber harvesting and processing in the
Philippines is still highly regulated by the national Department of Environment
and Natural Resources, compared to what was seen during the visit to
Indonesia. The Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur is currently trying to
more clearly define its role in managing issues related to the environment
within its territory. The Filipino tree farmers greatly admired the supportive
Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia
policy environment for small-scale tree farming in Java, and were keen on
promoting such policies in the Philippines. Indeed, the farmers in Java were
also surprised as to the situation of the Filipino tree farmers who are
subjected to long and tedious processes of securing permits and are
burdened with multiple fees and taxes just to get their wood to market. To a
certain extent, the hutan rakyat farmers in Bogoran are subject to much less
government regulation, although they have their own policy problems to deal
with.
Market Access and the Market chain: In comparison to the Philippines, the
farmers in Java have a much easier time marketing their wood. Farmers have
a high degree of control over the marketing process and have clear options in
terms of how they choose to sell the wood. The market chain is shorter, with
farmers selling either to the depot, to traders or directly to the wood
processing plant. In the Philippines, farmers must deal with traders, financiers
and buyers at wood processing plants located far away from their plantations.
Value addition: The tree farmers in the Philippines, particularly in Agusan del
Sur, are also limited by the fact that they are only able to sell raw products.
The national DENR has stopped issuing permits to operate sawmills that
would allow the farmers to add value to their products, thereby fetching higher
prices. The Indonesian tree farmers recommended that they set-up similar
systems as in Java, where processing plants and sawmills are located nearby
the tree farms, allowing the farmers to process their products easily.
The Filipino participants came away from the visit with plans to introduce
some of the systems that they observed in the Indonesian tree farms,
particularly in terms of maximizing the utilization of their large areas of land by
introducing a wider variety of intercrops. They also hope to establish a minisawmill to add value to their products and are motivated to improve the quality
of their products in order to be able to explore new markets, perhaps even
direct export. In the end however, the stringent regulations that the tree
farmers face is their main obstacle.
Their Indonesian counterparts
encouraged them to continue to advocate for greater deregulation of smallscale tree farming and for more supportive government policies, and to
explore opportunities for collaboration with the government in terms of
marketing. It is hoped that the proposed Environment Code being formulated
by the Agusan del Sur Provincial Government will include some of the
learnings from the Indonesian visit.
As for the host country, the exchange allowed them to reflect on their
experiences and their successes, and hopefully also inspired them to continue
to improve their practices and systems. Learning from the practices of the
federations and tree farmer associations in the Philippines, the Indonesian
tree farmers are motivated to continue meetings regularly, strengthen their
associations and assist their fellow tree farmers.
Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia
ii
Contents
Executive Summary .......................................................................................... i
Contents ......................................................................................................... iii
I. Background...................................................................................................1
Visit Overview...............................................................................................2
II. The Learning Visit ........................................................................................4
A.
TREE FARM MANAGEMENT ...........................................................4

Traditional Knowledge in Optimizing Available Land in Bogoran ..............4
Scientific Knowledge in Plantation Development in Caraga .....................5
Intercropping for Product Diversification in Bogoran.................................5
Wood Productivity Maximization in Caraga ..............................................6
Planting and Propagation Preferences .....................................................6
Trees as investments................................................................................6
Growing Teak in Girisekar Village, Gunungkidul District...........................7
Migration and Preferred Species of Young and Old Farmers ...................7
Reflections regarding Certification for Community Forests.......................8
B.
MARKETING .....................................................................................9
Modes of Marketing in Wonosobo ............................................................9
Wood Processing Establishments ..........................................................11
Furniture Shops ......................................................................................13
C.
GOVERNANCE ...............................................................................14
Wonosobo District Government Support to Hutan Rakyat......................14
Gunungkidul District Government Support to Teak Certification.............15
Regulating the tree farming industry .......................................................16
III. Options for the Future ...............................................................................19
A.
Building a Future for Small-Scale Tree Farming in the Philippines..19
B. Reenergizing Tree Farmers and District Authorities in Indonesia ..........21

IV. Appendices...............................................................................................23
Appendix A.
Appendix B.
Appendix C.
Appendix D.
Schedule of Activities ........................................................24

Participants .......................................................................25
Workshop Questions .........................................................29
Action Plans ......................................................................30
Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia
iii
Tables
1
Income from Non-Wood Products Grown on Hutan Rakyat
Recovery from Paraserianthes Falcataria Logs (Ud. Prima Kencara)
Recovery from Paraserianthes Falcataria Logs (Mekar Abadi)
Buying Price of Paraserianthes Falcataria Logs (Mekar Abadi)
Selling Price of Tectona Grandis Logs (Klaten Depot)
Figures
1
Modes of Marketing Sengon from Bogoran Village, Wonosobo
iv
I. Background
The Philippines-Indonesia Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia
is an offshoot activity from a visit to the Caraga Region in September 2005.
The Philippine Working Group on Community Based Natural Resource
Management (PWG), facilitated by Environmental Science for Social Change,
visited tree farms in Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur. A diverse group
of professionals and practitioners in CBNRM from various sectors looked at
the situation of small-scale tree farmers, planting trees on private lands, and
at the potentials and constraints that the tree farming industry faces.
The visit revealed the great potential that tree farming in the Philippines has,
in terms of being an economically viable livelihood activity, especially for the
natural-resource dependent communities in the region. At the same time, tree
farming on private lands also shows great promise as a way to meet domestic
wood demand. Caraga is a region that possesses all the natural advantages
for tree farming: a suitable climate, good soil and an abundance of labor.
However, the industry is also plagued by problems. In an effort to minimize or
control illegal cutting and transport of logs, the government has put many
policies in place that are disincentives to the tree farmers in the region.
Processes to obtain the various permits and documents for cutting and
transport of logs are laborious and often very expensive, as tree farmers must
contend with the transactional nature of doing business. Requirements, such
as inventories, are done at the farmers cost, and the roads that must be
traveled in transporting the logs are lined with checkpoints, or cash points,
where farmers must pay in order to get their products from farm to market.
When they reach their final destination, many farmers feel lucky to just be
able to break even.
Many farmers, discouraged by the situation, have already abandoned tree
farming and are turning instead to oil palm as an alternative. Oil palm is
currently being promoted among farmers and financial and technical
assistance is available for farmers who wish to try planting oil palm. Some,
however, continue to plant trees, knowing that there is demand for the
product, and that the market exists, if only the process of marketing were
easier.
As a follow-up to the PWG visit, the Voluntary Service Overseas-Sharing and
Promotion of Awareness and Regional Knowledge programme (SPARK)
offered support to an activity wherein tree farmers from the Philippines could
learn from areas where small-scale tree farming on private lands has been
successful. Environmental Science for Social Change organized the visit in
collaboration with Asia Forest Network.
In the process of preparing for the visit, organizers learned that there are not a
lot of areas where tree farming is practiced on private small-scale farm lands
in Asia. Of the seven potential learning venues identified1, it was determined

that a visit to Java, Indonesia would provide the best comparison with the
Philippine situation. Such an international learning visit would provide the
opportunity to learn from the initiatives of Indonesian tree farmers and identify
what mechanisms must be established in the Philippines in order to enable
the kind of growth that farm forestry has in Indonesia.
Two districts in Java, Indonesia Gunungkidul and Wonosobo -are most
similar in context with Caraga Region, Mindanao, Philippines and are able
and ready to host a visit from their Filipino counterparts:
Farmers in the three areas are planting on private lands

Farmers in Wonosobo are dealing with the same species,
Paraserianthes falcattaria and Swietenia spp. and thus have the basis
to exchange experiences in planting, cutting and processing
techniques
Farmers in Gunungkidul are planting teak (Tectona grandis) and are in
the process of applying for forest certification
People from both the Philippines and Indonesia come from the Malay
race
The two countries have a similar nation-state dynamics: both come
from island nations
Stakeholders from Wonosobo District in Central Java have already had
the opportunity to see the Philippine context during another SPARKsponsored visit to Mountain Province and Nueva Vizcaya in 2002.
Host villages in Indonesia expressed appreciation for an activity with the

Filipinos. They see the learning visit as an opportunity to share their traditional
knowledge, celebrate successes in managing their own farms and provide
them a respite from issues faced in extending their farming practices on state
forestlands. They see that exchanging experiences with other cultures
enables them to reflect on aspects of their livelihoods that are working and
allows them find new energies to improve further.
Visit Overview
The PWG visit to Caraga showed that many of the tree farmers still need
technical assistance in terms of establishing, managing and maintaining their
farms. One farmer mentioned that one of the main difficulties in tree farming
is the large amount of wastage due to inefficient cutting techniques practiced
by the farmers. The tree farmers in Caraga also find it challenging to deal
with the market, which seems to be controlled by traders. Prices are low, and
the tree farmers are in a weak position, unable to negotiate for better prices.
Finally, the visit showed the weaknesses and limitations of policy to deal with
tree farming on private lands. There is as yet no clear policy dealing with
small-scale tree farming on a national level. The provincial government of
Agusan del Sur has made an effort to understand the situation of the farmers,
1
Kong Kaen, Thailand; Banyumas, Indonesia; Gunungkidul, Indonesia; Kalimantan, Indonesia;

Malang, Indonesia; Wonogiri, Indonesia; Wonosobo, Indonesia
and took the initiative to include small-scale tree farming as one of the main
points on its action agenda. Furthermore, the province is currently in the
process of finalizing an Environmental Code. They are also trying to
incorporate the main concerns of the tree farmers into this policy instrument.
Given these concerns, the visit was designed to look at three main aspects of
tree farming:
tree farm management
marketing
governance
During the pre-visit orientation, farmers from both the Philippines and
Indonesia were given an overview of their counterparts situations, from the
species they plant and their farm management practices, to their strategies for
marketing and the dynamics of the market they must contend with, as well as
the policy that governs their activities. The orientation for Filipino participants
was conducted by ESSC in Manila, prior to leaving for Yogyakarta, while the
orientation for Indonesian participants was conducted by AFN in Bogoran,
prior to the arrival of the Filipinos.
II. The Learning Visit

The visit proper focused on experiences of two villages, Bogoran in
Wonosobo District and Girisekar in Gunungkidul District. A day was also set
aside to meet the District Governments under which these two villages
belong. Both districts are very progressive in terms of dealing with hutan
rakyat areas, and supportive of community-based strategies for management.
As an exposure to the dynamics of the wood market in Java, visits were also
made to medium and large-scale wood processing industries, as well as to a
furniture factory that sources wood from hutan rakyat areas.
A. TREE FARM MANAGEMENT

The exposure to the villages and farmers working in hutan rakyat areas
proved to be an interesting mix of similarities and differences. While the soil
type and climate (particularly in Bogoran) are similar to Caraga, the
management strategies and approaches to tree farming are quite different.
Visits to farms in Bogoran (Wonosobo District) and Girisekar (Gunungkidul
District) allowed both Filipino and Indonesian participants to discuss
management techniques and reflect on what can and cannot work in their
respective contexts. The Filipino farmers in particular saw new approaches to
tree farming that are not yet widely practiced in the Caraga region.
Traditional Knowledge in Optimizing Available Land in Bogoran

The tree farmers from Caraga realized how fortunate they are to be planting
on areas that are quite extensive from a minimum of seven hectares to a
maximum of 1000 hectares as compared to the tree farmers in Bogoran,
who normally work with areas of about 0.25 hectares. While it was
emphasized that it is not typical for Filipino tree farmers to have hundreds or
even thousands of hectares, the large amount of land available in Caraga
(about 119,000 hectares of private land on which tree farming can be
applied), means that small-scale in the Philippines is actually larger than in
Indonesia. This is true in particular for Java, where the dense population
limits the opportunity for farmers to manage tracts of land at the scale
described by their Filipino counterparts.
Java has a history of practicing intensive agroforestry. Due to their long
tradition of tending home gardens coupled with the small amount of land they
have to work with. Indonesian tree farmers maximize their utilization of the
land, planting sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria) as a shade for crops, like
coffee, salak, Java pepper, chili, medicinal herbs and others.
Because of the intense nature of their agroforestry practice, the tree farmers
in Bogoran have densely packed plots of land, seemingly with no order to the
rows of trees and the intercrops. However, there is logic to their farming, as
they must take into consideration the shade and nutrient for their crops and
space. Chili for example, is good to plant near a sapling so that they can cofertilize each other. They position saplings in a way that they can practice
directional felling without disturbing the rest of the area during harvesting.
Scientific Knowledge in Plantation Development in Caraga

While the Javanese practice their traditional approach to forest farming, the
participants from Caraga come from a long history of logging operations and
commercial timber concessions. When the timber concessions opened in
Mindanao, many people from the Visayas and even from Luzon, migrated to
Mindanao to work as laborers in the concessions; many of those who are now
practicing tree farming used to work in the logging operations. Three out of
the five participants to the learning visit are foresters. This history and
experience of logging operations and timber concessions has influenced
many of the tree farmers to adopt the same types of management practices.
In tree farming in the Philippines, a premium seems to be placed on scientific,
rather than traditional, approaches to tree farming, highlighting the need for
prescriptive silvicultural practices, and focusing primarily on plantation
development.
Intercropping for Product Diversification in Bogoran

Discussions among the tree farmers revolved on the approach of doing
intensive multi-cropping, as a means to increase productivity and to enjoy a
more diverse range of livelihood options. The farmers from Bogoran do not
only sell their trees, but all the crops within their hutan rakyat. Any crop
planted within the hutan rakyat can either be used for daily domestic use or be
sold in the market. Even cow dung is collected and sold to the market by truck
every month (2 cows generate one truckload of dung monthly). While prices of
products fluctuate in the market, Filipino participants computed initial
estimates of farmers income from some non-wood products from their tree
farms:
Table 1. Income from Non-Wood Products Grown on Hutan Rakyat
Crop
Harvest cycle
Average volume per
harvest and Price (per kg.)
Kapulogo
Twice a month 100 kg/harvest within 0.5 ha.
(Amomum compactum)
sold at Rp 6,000/kg
Salak
Twice a month 300 kg/harvest within 0.25
(Salacca edulis)
ha.
sold at Rp 1,500 to 3,000/kg
Chili
Twice a month 50 kg/harvest within 0.5 ha.
sold at Rp 6,000/kg
Income *
(per month)
IDR 1,200,000
(USD 133)
IDR 900,000
(USD 100)
IDR 600,000
(USD 67)
* IDR 9,000 = USD 1
The Indonesian farmers shared that income from hutan rakyat is spent not
only for family needs but also for community occasions, such as marriage,
birth and religious events. Community occasions happen quite often and it is
social practice that they contribute to these celebrations.
Wood Productivity Maximization in Caraga

Some farmers do practice intercropping in the Philippines as well, planting
falcata most commonly with bananas and coffee. Some have more diverse
crops, planting fruit bearing trees, like durian, jackfruit and rambutan.
However, emphasis is less on intercrops and more on trees, as evidenced by
their strategy of practicing a fairly wide spacing system (ideally, 4 meters x 4
meters) to ensure good-sized falcata. Filipino farmers who can afford to wait
10-15 years focus on producing large trees, ideally 30-60 centimeters smallend diameter, as these fetch the best price at the market. Meanwhile, most
Bogoran farmers harvest their sengon at five years when average small-end
diameter is only about 10 -15 cm. Some even sell sengon with 8 cm small-end
diameter. In the Philippines, sengon of 10-12 cm would fetch the lowest price,
and would only be considered good for pulp while those with small-end
diameter of 8 cm or less are not marketable at all.
Planting and Propagation Preferences

In terms of planting and propagation strategies, the Filipinos use seedlings.
Access to good seeds and seedlings is often limited so the CaragaFed assists
farmers by establishing nurseries and giving seedlings to members free of
charge, as well as training on how to plant them. In Bogoran, because of the
small hectarage of hutan rakyat, farmers use marcots and coppicing as a
propagation strategy. Marcots (cengkok) are ideal for planting in a cramped
space, already full of various crops. If they use seedlings, as in the
Philippines, the seedlings will have to compete with the other plants; marcots
can compete better with the coffee than seedlings. Coppicing is also another
preferred strategy in Bogoran because of the strength of the rooting system
from the coppice. Furthermore, they find that the sprouts from the coppice
grow faster than seedlings.
The difference in strategies stem primarily from the differences in context.
Caraga farmers who work on relatively larger areas of land tend to find raising
seedlings as the most efficient technique given their situation. Bogoran, on
the other hand, has smaller areas, making marcots and coppicing appropriate
and manageable.
Trees as investments
In the Philippines, tree farming was promoted as a way to get rich.
Government program implementers told farmers that if they plant falcata and
gmelina they would become millionaires due to the demand for electric posts.
This might help to explain why the Filipino farmers focus much of their
attention on ensuring that their trees grow to good size. Filipino tree farmers
focus on selling large trees as these fetch the highest price, willing to wait,
and willing to contend with the difficulties of marketing to get the windfall
income one big sale worth tens of thousands (or even hundreds of
thousands of pesos).
Bogoran villagers on the other hand are more cautious and prefer to reduce
their risk. They would rather sell sengon at 5 years of age to get early returns,
even though this is not the maximum diameter and will not fetch the best
price. Because the market accepts smaller-diameter and shorter sengon,
farmers can turn over investments within a five year cycle and this enables
them to have a relatively stable and more consistent income.
The do retain some big trees, like the two falcata trees in Bp. Priyos farm that
he is saving for the marriage of his youngest son and the 15-year old sengon
on Bp. H. Sunarjos farm which he is allotting to construct a new house. While
the 5-year old trees harvested serve as their savings account which they
draw from for regular annual needs, the legacy trees serve as their time
deposit which they allow to mature and earn higher interest for special
occasions.
Growing Teak in Girisekar Village, Gunungkidul District

In Gunungkidul District, the dominant species planted by tree farmers is teak
(Tectona grandis). Three main aspects influence farming practices in
Gunungkidul. The first aspect is due to the environment. The kegel karst
formations make the soil unsuitable for planting sengon and other agricultural
crops. It is only possible to plant cassava, which is sun-dried and eaten as a
staple food. This difficult condition motivated the farmers to plant trees as
their savings, which they can cut when they need cash. For the farmers in
Gunungkidul, planting trees provides them with more benefits than planting
crops. Girisekar villagers prefer teak because it is resistant to pests, longlasting, easily sold and fetches a high price. There are other species in the
area, but not as dominant.
The second aspect is in terms of policy. Before 1963 people were prohibited
from planting teak, as this was the main species being planted on state forest
lands. Over time however, when the district government decided to embark
on a reforestation program. The district provided teak seedlings for planting
on peoples forests and the prohibition was lifted.
Third is the cultural aspect to teak as the farmers species of choice. There is
already a long-standing culture of growing this species for their own use due
to their respect for the woods quality. People feel very proud to have a home
or furniture made from teak and Javanese refer to teak as the real wood.
Migration and Preferred Species of Young and Old Farmers

Participants from Girisekar expressed that village values are beginning to
change. The youth are less willing to stay in the village and engage in
farming, preferring instead to look for jobs in the urban areas. There are also
those who plant teak then leave the village for nearby Jogjakarta. Their idea
was that teak is their living bank: when they come back the teak would
already be large, ready for harvest and worth a lot of money. The elders in
Girisekar felt that there is much unutilized land in the village as a
consequence of the lack of human resources. Farmers from Caraga shared
that while youth labor is plentiful in their area, they feel that the land is
unutilized because there are a lot of disincentives for making the land
productive. It appeared to some of the Filipino participants that the tree farms
in Gunungkidul are monocultures of teak, which turned out to be a false
impression. Gunungkidul participants clarified during the wrap-up session
that while teak is the dominant and most important species to the villagers,
they are also planting other species but to a lesser extent. The elder farmers
thought though that if they had the human resources, the village could do
more intercropping to maximize the land use.
Another reflection as a result of the meetings in Girisekar and Bogoran relates
with the apparent differences in species preference between young and old
farmers. One of the Filipino tree farmers compared the people and their
choice of tree in Bogoran and Gunungkidul: in Bogoran, farmers are mostly
composed of energetic, young people (20-40 years old) who prefer to plant
fast growing species like sengon while, in Girisekar, farmers are mostly from
an older generation (over 40 years old) who generally are more patient and
thus willing to wait the long gestation period for teak. Mr. Tumino who comes
from another village in Gunungkidul however corrected the impression that
only the older generation is planting teak in the district. He shared that there
are many young and well-educated people in his village who are also
participating in the development of the hutan rakyat areas.
Reflections regarding Certification for Community Forests

Sustainable forest management is expected to meet certain ecological,
economic and social management standards.
These standards are
developed by an independent third-party organization and the certification
process must comply with principles of transparency, accountability and multistakeholder (government, NGOs, academics, business entities and
community representatives) representation and participation.
The main objective of the Gunungkidul farmers is to obtain recognition for
sustainable management practices by getting their hutan rakyat certified by
the Lembaga Ekolabel Indonesia (LEI).
The district government of
Gunungkidul has designated Girisekar Village as a pilot area for certification.
Certification is hoped to boost the profile of community-managed forests.
Forest certification in Girisekar village is seen a way to attract national and
international recognition and increase opportunity to improve access to the
international teak market, thereby increasing the market value of their product
and improving benefits to the farmers. There are currently around two million
hectares of certified community-based forests around the world that generally
focus on wood production.
The first step in the forest certification process is to establish farmer groups.
Next, participatory mapping is conducted with support from an assisting
organization. In Gunungkidul, ARuPA is assisting in this process that includes
measuring the area covered being managed under hutan rakyat and
conducting a timber inventory. Inventory records are maintained with the
community for future updating.
CaragaFed members shared that they have undergone workshops and

seminars on forest certification but there is apprehension among small-scale
tree farmers regarding the process in the Philippines. There is not even a
clear policy suited for the management of private forests, much less a policy
covering certification. There is currently no independent body in the
Philippines promoting certification of community-managed and private forests.
A few certification bodies used operate from Davao, but are no longer active.
The tree farmers have experienced the extensive graft and corruption in the
forestry sector in the Philippines and there is fear that the process of
certification will be vulnerable to the same corruption. Certification might only
mean additional expenses for the tree farmers who are already burdened by
high transaction costs.
Moreover, the urgency to get forest certification in the Philippines is not as
pressing as that in Gunungkidul. Farmers in Gunungkidul are dealing with
teak, a controversial species needing verification to be acceptable in its end
market in Northern countries. Farmers in the Philippines, like in Wonosobo,
are dealing with Paraserianthes falcataria, a plantation species sold mostly to
the domestic or else regional markets. Since the process of certification is
difficult and there are many requirements before actually getting certified,
farmers dealing with less controversial species are tending not to consider
undergoing the process in the short-term. The drive for forest certification is
high in Central America where several communities already have experience
with the process, but there is still very little experience in Asia. The pilot area
of Girisekar village is then very valuable in that it is an experience that other
communities in Asia can learn from.
B. MARKETING
Aside from tree farm management and governance, another main concern of
tree farmers in the Philippines is marketing. Initial research done in Agusan
del Norte and Sur shows that tree farmers face many constraints to marketing
wood. There are many players involved traders, financiers and the buyers
at the wood processing plants. Filipino tree farmers seem to feel that they are
in a position of weakness, unable to negotiate for better prices. There is a
notion that the market is controlled by cartels, and that the farmers are captive
to this market.
Modes of Marketing in Wonosobo

According to the villagers in Bogoran, there are three main options to market
their wood.
1. Farmers can sell to the depot, in Sapuran, around five kilometers away. In
this case, the farmer will have to cut, haul, and transport the wood himself
and bear any of the costs that may be incurred.
2. From the village, it is also possible to sell to traders (local traders or

outsiders). These traders usually buy in bulk (per area or per tree). In this
mode of marketing, the trader shoulders the cutting, hauling and
transportation costs.
3. The third mode of marketing is when the farmer sells directly to the
processing plant, but only when volume requirements are met, which is
larger than what the depot accepts.
Figure 1. Modes of Marketing Sengon from Bogoran Village, Wonosobo
Bogoran
Tree Farms
3
5 km
Sapuran
Depot (Sawmill)
Pedagang
(traders)
Sapuran
Pabrik (processing plant)
Each mode of marketing has its own benefit and disadvantage. If the farmer
sells directly to the depot or sawmill (option 1), the price will be lower, but the
farmer can practice selective cutting and has more control over how much he
harvests. For the long term, this is the most advantageous arrangement. Bulk
selling (option 2) to traders will give farmers higher returns in the short run, as
the traders tendency would be to clear cut the entire farm. However, farmers
feel that this is not a very sustainable option for them, as they will often be left
with no trees to harvest the following year, or when need arises. Direct selling
to large processing plants (option 3) often generates higher prices compared
to depots but requires higher capital outlay as large volume deliveries are
required.
In terms of mode of payment, if farmers sell to the trader, the trader often
gives two choices: money up front, but at a lower buying price, or money paid
at the end of the cutting process. Most farmers in Bogoran prefer the first
alternative. This way, even if the trader goes bankrupt in the process of
harvesting, the farmer will already have received payment. This way, there is
less risk for the farmers.
10
A major difference between the Philippines and Java, is in terms of what the
market is willing to buy. Bogoran farmers have a ready market for wood
harvested only after five years, at a diameter less than 20 centimeters. The
Filipino tree farmers on the other hand, work with a market that emphasizes a
larger diameter for falcata; anything less than 8 cm is not marketable. Those
with diameter between 8 and 10 cm are considered only fit for pulp, and will
not fetch a high price.
Bogoran villagers sell their logs at lengths of 1.3 meters. In the Philippines,
the industries prescribe the standard lengths that can be purchased. For
plywood, which is one of the main industries that tree farmers supply wood
for, the length of the logs should be either 1.4 meters or 2.8 meters.
The size of logs that markets are willing to buy dictates the farmers system
for transport, which affects the capital they would need to raise in marketing
their wood. Because the Indonesian market buys logs of smaller diameter and
length, Indonesians use small trucks to transport wood and have a smaller
capital outlay. Trucks in Wonosobo can transport an average capacity of
around 6 cubic meters of logs per truck. The Philippine market requires logs
at a larger diameter and length and so trucks in the Philippines need to be
larger, carrying from 30-34 cubic meters of logs.
A Filipino tree farmer remarked that perhaps buyers were trying to dictate the
market and demand for smaller diameter logs only because they wanted to
keep prices down. A youth leader from Bogoran admitted that this is a
possibility and that they are also worried about the willingness of the market to
purchase logs that are only 8 cm in diameter. With such heavy demand for
logs, they are concerned whether there is adequate capacity to ensure supply
from sustainable sources.
Wood Processing Establishments

The group learned from the owner of Ud. Prima Kencara, a sawmill along
Jalan Purworejo in Sapuran, that he buys round logs from farmers and then
sells his product lumber to larger wood processing plants. The
sizes/dimensions (thickness, width and length) of the lumber and the
percentage of recovery from logs depends on the log sizes:
Table 2. Recovery from Paraserianthes Falcataria Logs (Ud. Prima Kencara)
Log Diameter, small end
Percentage of Lumber Recovered
Small (4-8 centimeters)
40 % recovery
Medium (10-18 cm)
50 % recovery
Above 20 cm
60 % recovery
The waste materials (such as bark, sawdust and slab) are used for fire wood.
As mentioned, the dimensions of the lumber produced also depend on the log
size. The sawmill operator produces lumber in varying dimensions. The
operator said that lumber is sold by cubic meter, regardless of the size or
11
dimension. His sawmill processes logs measuring 1.3 meters long or less,
because his drying machine can only accommodate this maximum length.
The sawmill has 3 bench-saw machines. Each bench-saw processes 12
cubic meters of raw logs and, from this volume of wood, 6 cubic meters of
lumber can be produced. On the average, the sawmill produces 18 cubic
meters of lumber per day. The selling price of one cubic meter of lumber that
is not yet kiln dried is IDR 550,000. Based on these figures, a sawmill with 3
bench-saw machines can generate roughly IDR 9.9 million (USD 1,100) of
income per day out of 36 cubic meters of raw logs from community forests.
The sawmill owner further estimates the cost of kiln drying of one cubic meter
of lumber at around IDR 50,000. Kiln drying, which can take 10 days, reduces
the moisture content of wood from 25-30 % (before drying) to below 10 %. He
puts the cost of milling of logs (inclusive of labor) at IDR 40,000/cubic meter.
From the owner of Mekar Abadi, one of the three largest wood processing
plants in Wonosobo, the participants learned that there is a big market for
core for plywood. Mr. Hariyadi, the owner, supplies core to Taiwan where it is
laminated, then exported to the Middle East and Europe for blockboard. In
the local market, the main product is veneer. The main species that he
purchases is falcata, and he normally accepts a minimum of 25 cu.m. per
delivery. The percentage of recovery for lumber depends on the diameter of
the logs:
Table 3. Recovery from Paraserianthes Falcataria Logs (Mekar Abadi)
Log Diameter, small end
Percentage of Lumber Recovered
10 19 cm
60 %
20 and above
49 % (for core)
20 and above
52 % (for sawn timber)
Mekar Abadi gets its supply from depots, and does not directly source from
the farmer. The mode of payment is cash on delivery. According to Mr.
Hariyadi, the plant buys logs per cubic meter as follows:
Table 4. Buying Price of Paraserianthes Falcataria Logs (Mekar Abadi)
Diameter
Buying Price per cubic meter *
in IDR (and USD)
10 15 cm
IDR 300,000 ($33)
15 19 cm
IDR 410,000 ($45)
Above 20 cm
IDR 440,000 ($49)
* USD1 = Rp 9,000
The buying price of sawn lumber (with dimensions of 130 cm in length, 8-16
cm in thickness, and 5 cm in width) bought from small-scale sawmills is IDR
530,000 per cubic meter.
12
Furniture Shops
The furniture industry in Java is growing, due to the abundance of labor and
the low capital outlay. Klaten is the second largest hub for furniture industries
in Java, next to Semarang. The group met with Mr. Radite, a professor at
Gadja Mada University in Yogyakarta, and owner of two furniture shops, one
in Yogyakarta and one in Klaten.
Mr. Radite has a supplier in Klaten, who sources the wood primarily from
hutan rakyat areas. At the moment, Mr. Radite uses a lot of teak for furniture
production, but is beginning to adjust his operations to move towards
producing more pieces from mahogany. Teak is used mainly for garden or
outdoor furniture pieces, while mahogany is used for indoor furniture.
The depot in Klaten buys the wood (teak) from the farmers at 800,000 per tree
for 30 cm diameter. If the diameter is below 30 cm, then the price is 500,000.
The depot then sells this based on log diameter:
Table 5. Selling Price of Tectona Grandis Logs (Klaten Depot)
Small-end Diameter (cm)
Selling Price per cubic meter *
in IDR (and USD)
15-19
600,000 ($66)
20
800,000 ($89)
20-30
1,300,000 ($145)
* USD1 = Rp 9,000
Every month, the Klaten depot distributes about 50 cu.m. of logs to the
different end users. Based on the figures, this volume generates the depot an
average monthly income of IDR 15 million (USD 1,667), net of payments to
farmers2. Mr. Radite actually does not prefer big diameter of wood, because it
is too expensive. He usually prefers to purchase wood from 16-20 cm
diameter.
The furniture export business is profitable according to Mr. Radite, because
prices are good in the international market. Mr. Radite is updated on which
designs are in demand both in the local and international markets. During the
visit, his shop is working on furniture pieces designed for export to
international buyers. The quality control section is working on sun beds, the
milling section is working on a cabinet, and another section is working on a
table.
Mr. Radites furniture shop has several sections housing the wood processing
machinery and equipment, and is run by around fifteen people. Wood must be
kiln dried, milled, assembled and then undergo quality control. The kiln dryer
is critical especially for the international market. Teak takes 3-4 weeks of kiln
drying while mahogany 2 weeks. Water content of the wood after kiln drying is
about 12-14%. The milling section has several specialized machines to cut
the components of the furniture into shape, after which it goes to the
2
[IDR 800,000 (selling price for 20 cm teak) IDR 500,000 (buying price from farmers)] * 50 cubic meters sold per month
13
assembly section. In the assembly section, the group saw a furniture piece
undergoing design review. The process from kiln drying up to assembly is run
by men. The quality check section, located near the entrance of the shop, is
run by women who take charge of packaging. Mr. Radite employs women for
this section because attention to detail is needed in quality control. At the time
of the visit, a Chinese businessman serving as a broker for a buyer from
Belgium is with the quality check group conducting an inspection of the teak
sun beds being packed for export. One cubic meter of wood can produce 10
sun beds. The shop can produce up to 5-7 finished products in one day, for
export to the United States and Europe.
C. GOVERNANCE
Both the farmers in the Philippines and in Indonesia have to contend with
limitations in present policies. The highly centralized system in the Philippines
imposes a lot of regulations on tree farming. Farmers are burdened with high
transaction costs during the whole process of planting, harvesting, processing
and marketing that requires various types of permits and documentation from
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The
CaragaFed advocated for deregulation which DENR granted through the
transfer of inventory and transport authorization responsibilities to private
foresters, but this was revoked after a short period of time. In Java, farmers
with limited areas of land want to practice their highly productive forest
management strategies in state forest areas, share in the benefits from their
farming and be recognized for their contribution to forest management in the
country. Mechanisms for sharing space and benefits with the Perhutani still
need to be worked out in many areas in Java.
Wonosobo District Government Support to Hutan Rakyat

The Wonosobo District government is highly supportive of the farmers in
hutan rakyat. In the visit to Bogoran Village, a member of the village
parliament reported that there are developments at the district level, to
discuss new policies for both state and private forestlands. It is their hope
that a policy can be developed that accommodates the interests of the people,
the Perhutani and the environment. Centuries of state-managed forests for
corporate gain shows that there is a need for change as local needs for the
resources grow. The struggle is to find a system that will benefit many,
instead of only a few.
Wonosobo consists of 256 villages covering almost 99,000 hectares. The
district is occupied by 768,000 people, and 80% of them are farmers. The
private forests cover approximately 19,000 hectares. The largest areas under
private forest are in the sub-districts of Kaliwiro and Sapuran.
Farmers work under three types of tenure arrangements within private forests:
1. Farmer works on his own land
2. Farmers work with others who own land
3. Farmers plant on land leased from another farmer
14
The district government supports the development of hutan rakyat and helps
in establishing a peoples wood industry, by encouraging the people to plant,
contributing seedlings for planting, assisting the people in building and
maintaining transportation facilities, and by facilitating market access to the
market. There are 159 farmer groups in Wonosobo.
At present, the state forestlands in Wonosobo are degraded due to massive
forest looting. The success of farmers in private lands convinced the district
government to adopt the management practice of hutan rakyat in state forest,
which led to the passing of a district regulation on community based forest
management in 2001. However, the central level deemed that the district
regulation runs contrary to prior national policies, particularly those which
vested Perhutani with perpetual rights to manage state forests. After three
years of review, the judiciary ordered the cancellation of the Wonosobo CBFM
regulation.
In a new effort to accommodate interests of all stakeholders, the district
government is currently in the process of formulating a new policy together
with NGOs, community groups and the Perhutani based on three general
principles:
1. Environmental sustainability
2. Ensuring peoples access to state forest
3. Ensuring harmony among stakeholders
The district parliament is in the process of discussing these concepts with all
stakeholders in the hope that this will lead to a formulation of a district
regulation on environmental services. The district government is concerned
that the high demand for sengon and the consequent increased intensity in
the production will have an adverse impact on the environment. With
environmental sustainability as one of the district governments main priorities,
the district is exploring the possibility of collecting contributions from wood
processing plants, which will be used to finance technical assistance
programs that will allow farmers to continue sustainable practices given
market pressures. Through this new policy, Wonosobo hopes to fulfill its
broader responsibility of being the headwaters of the Serayu-Opak-Progo
watershed that services six other districts.
Gunungkidul District Government Support to Teak Certification

The district government aims to get the forest function back to what it should
be. The land area of Gunungkidul is 114,000 hectares. The forested area is
29,000 hectares with state forests covering around 13,000 hectares and hutan
rakyat 16,000 hectares.
The district government is assisting communities in Gunungkidul in the
process of obtaining certification for sustainably-managed community forests
from Lembaga Ekolabel Indonesia (LEI). Certification will help to ensure that
wood from the Gunungkidul forests is from a sustainable source. To achieve
15
certification, the effort is to build capacity for forest management through

technology and knowledge transfer through training. There is also an
emphasis on building human resources, by assisting the process of institution
building, and helping the community in terms of organizational development.
Communities are also working on their own initiative to rehabilitate forest
lands by investing in tree planting activities. Even without government
support, farmers groups engage in activities to strengthen their organizations.
For example, some have established small banking and savings mechanisms.
Some community forests are supported by government, while others are
financed entirely by the farmers themselves.
The Gunungkidul wood producers association plays a crucial role in ensuring
the sustainability of peoples forests. The association trains traders on criteria
imposed by furniture industries and end users regarding logs cut, so that they
can implement these standards when sourcing supplies from producers. This
helps prevent indiscriminate cutting of trees. Negotiations are also being
conducted to keep timber prices at a reasonable level. The association also
conducts tests to check on timber quality, to ensure that the harvest meets
industry criteria.
Regulating the tree farming industry

Tree farming is highly regulated in the Philippines. The regulations originally
designed for large-scale concessions are the same ones being applied to
small-scale tree farming. The CaragaFed advocates for total deregulation of
the industry, which is an uphill battle. Given this concern, Filipino participants
very keenly asked their Indonesian counterparts if it was necessary for tree
farmers to get permits from the government before they harvest their trees.
Before farmers can harvest and transport wood products in the Philippines,
the national forest law requires them to conduct an inventory of their area,
permit to cut, and a document to allow harvested trees to be transported. All
these documents are processed at a certain cost (both legitimate and
informal), usually borne by the farmer. Cutting and transport is subject to the
regulation of the DENR, as falcata is considered a tree crop. If it was
considered as an agricultural crop like coconut, then it would have been less
regulated under the Department of Agriculture. On top of this, the local
government in Agusan del Sur recently started collecting an environmental
fee of Php 35.00 per cubic meter.
For Indonesia, the Wonosobo District Forest Office explained that the national
Forest Law (Law 41, 1999) requires farmers to secure a cutting permit before
harvesting their trees to ensure that these indeed come from hutan rakyat and
not from the state forest. The cutting permit can be obtained at the village
level where a commission should be formed to oversee permit issuance. The
commission is composed of the local Perhutani, the district forest office, and
the police for hutan rakyat and hutan negara. The cutting permit is to be
issued free of charge and should be obtainable within two days.
16
In Wonosobo where farmers are growing species (e.g. sengon) that Perhutani
does not prefer to plant on state forests, the commission has not been formed
and farmers are not being burdened with securing the cutting permit. In areas
like Gunungkidul where farmers are dealing with species also planted in state
forests (e.g. mahogany and teak), the implementation of the regulation is very
tight.
In terms of transport of harvested trees, a document or license is also
required especially if the wood will be transported to another district. The
administrative order from the Ministry of Forestry that regulates cutting and
transport includes three main points: how to obtain the permits, the ministry
regulations on private forest, and the regulations on state forest products. This
information especially applies to those involved in wood products distribution.
District governments implement the issuance of the transport document or
SKSHH as appropriate. In Wonosobo where processing facilities are available
within the district, farmers need not transport their wood outside Wonosobo
and so are not being required to obtain the transport document. The
Wonosobo District Forest Office shared to participants that it sees itself as a
service provider to communities, and so it does its best to facilitate the
process for farmers who do need to obtain the license. The District Forest
Office further explained that, unlike the cutting permit which is free of charge,
they need to charge for the transport document because many copies have to
be produced for proper documentation at various points along the transport
route. In terms of local tax collection, the district government does not collect
taxes for forest products. There was previously a regulation proposed to that
effect but it was not passed.
Gunungkidul does not have a large number of wood processing industries
within the district, compared to Wonosobo. Ninety percent of products are
sold as raw materials (logs), mainly to the furniture industry in Klaten. Tree
farmers who want to sell outside the district have to obtain a transport permit,
or SKSHH (Surat Keterangan Sahnya Hasil Hutan). According to the
Wonosobo district government, the charge is Rp 5,000 per cu.m. of logs. In
Gunungkidul, the district earns around Rp 30,000 from each truck transporting
logs out of the area. Money paid for transport is given back to the community
in the form of seedlings.
Along the road, Filipino participants observed the thriving small-scale wood
processing facilities along the road to Bogoran, which is opposite to the
situation in the Philippines, particularly in Agusan del Sur, where farmers have
to go to another province to get their logs processed. Filipino farmers
explained that wood processing plants are presently unable to obtain permits
to operate within the province. Permits for wood processing plants are issued
by the national DENR. Because of this situation, the tree farmers are forced to
sell raw materials, thus getting the bottom price for their products. The Filipino
participants were curious to learn if district governments in Indonesia have the
authority to issue permits, and if small-scale processing plants could be
operated by tree farmers themselves.
17
The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry regulation states that wood processing

plants that produce more than 6,000 cubic meters per year need to obtain
their license to operate from the Ministry itself. Wood processing plants
producing less than this volume can get this permit at the provincial level.
The Wonosobo district government shared that it helps enterprises that need
permits/licenses from national government in processing their application.
Officials also mentioned that Wonosobo has many small-scale sawmills, some
of them mobile, moving to different locations every year. These small sawmills
produce much less than 6,000 cu.m. per year, but because they are
transient, do not get permits from Central Java Province. Sawmills of this
type are not required to secure a permit to operate, only a disturbance permit
(similar to a Environmental Compliance Certificate in the Philippines) and a
trading permit, which are regulated under the districts. The Wonosobo district
government however thinks that the proliferation of small-scale and mobile
sawmills need to be checked. It previously recommended that processing
industries producing less than 2,000 cu.m./year be required to obtain a permit
to operate at the district level, but higher authorities did not approve this
recommendation.
The Wonosobo and Gunungkidul district representatives also shared that the
national government has instituted a program for forest and land rehabilitation
(2003-2007). The Wonosobo district government was provided with IDR 5
billion to pursue the objectives of the program to rehabilitate 17,000 hectares
in five years. At present, five thousand hectares have been rehabilitated.
Gunungkidul District has an annual budget of IDR 400 million and is working
to establish plantations on 21,000 hectares. This budget can be accessed by
communities to finance their reforestation and land rehabilitation activities.
Gunungkidul relates these land rehabilitation efforts with the national law
requiring districts to maintain at least 30% forest cover.
18
III. Options for the Future

The action planning and wrap-up sessions were designed as venues for
participants to share how they intend to make use of lessons from the visit
over the next six months, by asking them to answer the following questions:
Capturing Learnings and Action Planning
Based on what you learned from this visit, what short-term actions
do you plan to undertake within next six months in your farm?
organization? federation? district/province?
What have you learned from this visit that you intend to share with
others in your family? organization? federation? district/province?
How do you intend to share what you learned to others in your
organization?
Wrap Up
What processes and systems did you see that you plan to apply?
What do you suggest to your counterpart to try to adopt?
Participants were grouped according to which area they belong and were
given time to discuss a six-month action plan, to give an opportunity for
farmers and local government officials to work as a team. Appendix C
provides details of the action plans for the three groups (Agusan del Sur,
CaragaFed, Wonosobo, and Gunungkidul).
A. Building a Future for Small-Scale Tree Farming in the Philippines
The action plans of Filipino participants focused on exploring the potential of
the management and marketing strategies that they saw during the trip to
Java. Realizing that intensive intercropping is a viable way to increase tree
farm productivity and economic stability by helping farmers meet their daily
needs, the CaragaFed will embark on a program to train farmers in this
practice. Although the primary crop of tree farmers in Caraga has been
falcata or gmelina, the learning visit showed that having a diverse range of
crops can be a way to increase income between harvest cycles of the trees.
Intercrops act as safety nets for farmers that allow them to earn while waiting
for their tree crops to mature. Intercropping and intensive agroforestry has
not been fully utilized in the Philippines, but seeing the success in Bogoran
has resulted in new motivation to try this strategy. Tree farm management
practices that Filipino farmers learned which they plan to apply:
Multiple cropping with proper forestry silvicultural systems, and

maintaining traditional practice
Apply integrated management system with a maximum utilization of the
area
Intercropping system be adapted with medicinal plants/herbs
19
Their new Indonesian friends also provided the following suggestions:
Strive to make cutting more efficient so that stump will be shorter (2030 cm) and wastage will be lessened
Introduce coppicing and marcoting as alternative propagation methods
so that farmers need not depend on availability of seedling supply all
the time.
Suggest to diversify species planted in your area
Maximize intercropping with seasonal crop
Stringent regulations remain one of the main obstacles to small-scale tree

farming. In Java, falcata is considered much like how an agricultural crop is
treated in the Philippines. Regulations on planting and harvesting falcata from
hutan rakyat areas are not as stringent for species grown on state forestlands
such as teak. In the Philippines, the argument for tight regulations on the tree
farming industry is to prevent or control illegal logging. Tree farmers however
maintain that falcata should not be included among the species closely
monitored by the DENR, based on the justification that falcata is an exotic
plantation species hence it poses no threat to illegal logging in natural forests.
While there is an existing Department of Justice opinion that recommends
treating falcata as an agricultural crop, the stringent system for harvest and
transport still persists, and it is something that the tree farmers must continue
to deal with. Governments need to show quick action on the devastating
floods in 2004 blamed on deforestation and illegal logging prompted DENR to
issue a moratorium on wood processing permits to ensure that illegal
logging does not rise in order to fill the needs of wood processors. Because
of this policy, the tree farmers in Agusan del Sur must continue to transport
only raw materials (fetching only bottom price). Seeing the system in
Indonesia, Filipino tree farmers plan to work towards improving market access
by:
Exploring direct export and improving quality for better income

Setting up a portable mini-sawmill for added value and employment
generation
The suggestions of Indonesian counterparts affirmed these plans:
Shorten market chain and explore possible collaboration between tree

farmers and government in the marketing system
Establish log depot, sawmills and wood processing plants nearer to the
small-scale tree farms
Promote establishment of one certification body for products from
small-scale tree farms
Encourage entrepreneurship and establishment of wood traders
association
Advocate for deregulation of market system which gives advantage to
small-scale tree farmers
Exchanges regarding governance strategies helped participants find new

ways to engage their national governments on issues affecting local
20
constituents. Among other lessons, learning that critical permits relating to

tree farming are issued at the village level in Indonesia strengthened the
resolve of Filipino participants to continue engaging policy-makers, as they
now have a set of working examples which help describe their vision for the
small-scale tree farming industry in Caraga. Seeing that the issuance of
permits (where needed) in Java is, for the most part, decentralized to local
administrative units, the Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur is now
trying to look for options of how to move forward in terms of localizing forest
policy, especially since it is in the process of finalizing its Provincial
Environment Code.
There is a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of reforming policy. One
of the main difficulties is that there is no clear policy on tree farming on private
lands. Constraints in terms of the lack of transparency and accountability,
and the corruption in the transport of logs also need to be addressed. The
local government needs to respond to the concerns of the tree farms,
particularly regarding the issue of multiple taxation, especially with the local
government implementation of the environmental fee. Seeing from the
Indonesia the development potential of the small-scale tree farming industry,
the Filipino local government representative plans to:
Advocate for the application of practices seen in Indonesia in the

formulation of the Environmental Code (Agusan del Sur)
Indonesian participants supported this commitment by giving the following

parting message during the wrap-up session:
Advocate for government to give more support to community

Encourage government to make obtaining cutting permit and
transportation permit easier
Develop
and
promote
policies
that
support
rehabilitation/reforestation for sustainable forest management
B. Reenergizing Tree Farmers and District Authorities in Indonesia

The learning visit enabled the Indonesian farmers to reflect on aspects of their
livelihoods that are working and find new energies to improve further, as can
be gleaned from their action plans. By sharing with visitors their traditional
knowledge and their experiences with trying to adapt to the call of the times,
they are able to celebrate successes in managing their own farms. This
provided them with renewed energies to face the difficult issues that relate
with the extension of their farming practices on state forestlands. This
newfound hope is reflected in their plans:
Strengthen collectivity of tree farmers by recognizing the spirit to

manage large areas of peoples forest by so many ways
Increase curiosity, encourage experimentation
Planting trees by strip model from east to west is practical
Have a model of forest maintenance to produce high-quality timber
21
Try to establish nurseries, and explore ways to finance them so that

free seedlings can be given to community
Set up a meeting with our farmer group to disseminate the result of this
visit
Plan to have regular meetings and policy dissemination
Enjoy way of life
Newfound Filipino friends provided the following suggestions based on their

hutan rakyat visits and late night discussions:
Inquire about other silvicultural practices (spacing, thinning, etc.) and

apply what is appropriate
Instead of physical contouring (excavation), maybe you can also try to
use vegetation to form contours
Try using seedlings
Suggest to sell big diameter sengon/tree crops to get higher profit
Try to shorten market chain by delivering logs directly to the processing
plant to enjoy the higher price
Put up a portable sawmill for added value and increase in market price
The Wonosobo District Government is in search of strategies to reestablish

relations among stakeholders in the district as it aiming to start a new process
of harmonizing policies affecting the districts natural, human, and social
capital. The district welcomed the presentation of the official from Agusan del
Sur Provincial Government who shared their process for crafting an
environmental code. Filipino participants had a very good impression of local
government support for tree farmers and gave just one suggestion about
governance:
Help farmers strengthen their organization through seminars and

workshops and improve individual farm management
22
IV. Appendices
Appendix A. Schedule of Activities
Appendix B. Participants
Appendix C. Workshop Questions
Appendix D. Action Plans
Appendix E. Summary of Participants Evaluation
23
Appendix A.
Date
Day 1
March 19, Sun
Schedule of Activities
1235-1405
PM
Overnight:
Day 2
March 20, Mon
0830-1200
1405-1515
1600-1900
2000-2300
Activity
Butuan-Manila PR 478
Participants Orientation and Expectation-Setting
(in Manila for Filipinos; in Bogoran for Indonesians)
ISO Dorm
Manila-Singapore PR 503
Singapore-Yogyakarta GA 877
Yogyakarta-Wonosobo (bus, 3 hrs.)
Check-in and Dinner: Hotel Surya Asia, Wonosobo
Opening Session: Participant Introductions, Hutan Rakyat Visit Briefing
Day 3
Forest Visit and Discussions in Bogoran Village
March 21, Tue
0700
0800-0900
0930-1230
1230-1400
1400-1730
1800-2000
2000-2300
Day 4
Check-out Hotel Surya Asia; bus to Bogoran

Wonosobo Capital to Bogoran Village (van, 1 hr.)
Stop-over at vantage point for both community forest and state forest
Walk-through Hutan Rakyat Farms (2 groups)
Lunch with foster families
Meeting at Village Hall with welcome remarks from
Sub-district and Village Officials; CaragaFed Presentation;
Open Forum
Dinner with foster families
Video Presentation and Evening discussions in Sukocos house
Overnight with foster families
Wonosobo District Authorities and Forest-Related Industries
March 22, Wed

0900
1000
1200
1300
1530
2000
Breakfast with foster families and farewell to Bogoran

Bogoran to Wonosobo (van, 1 hr.)
Meeting with Wonosobo District Officials
Lunch hosted by Wonosobo District Government
Visit Ud. Prima Kencara Sawmill in Sapuran sub-district
Visit Mekar Abadi wood processing plant
Participants Action Planning Workshop in Surya Asia
Check-in and Dinner: Hotel Surya Asia, Wonosobo
Day 5
Gunungkidul District Authorities, Tree Farmers and Furniture Shops
March 23, Thu
0530
0600
1000
1100
1200
1300
1500
1730
2000
Day 6
March 24, Fri
Day 7
March 25, Sat
Check-out Hotel Surya Asia

Wonosobo to Klaten (bus, 4 hrs.)
Visit Depot in Klaten sub-district; travel to furniture shop
Walk-Through Furniture Shop of Mr. Radite
Klaten to Gunungkidul
Lunch Meeting with Gunungkidul District Officials;
travel to Girisekar Village
Meeting with Farmers in Girisekar; view hutan rakyat
Gunungkidul to Yogyakarta
Check-in and Dinner: Hotel Brongto, Yogyakarta
Wrap-Up and Closing Session
For Filipino participants:
0700-1010 Yogyakarta-Singapore GA 876

1305-1645 Singapore-Manila PR 504
Overnight in Kabayan Hotel
For Indonesian participants: Bus to Wonosobo
For Filipino Participants: 1045-1115 Manila-Butuan PR 477
24
Appendix B.
Participants
The following participants joined the entire schedule of activities:

Philippines
1. Mr. Florio Josafat Jr., 35, President of the Bibahilita Farmers MultiSectoral Group Association, Inc. Jun valued the experience of seeing
how Indonesian farmers use a wide variety of intercrops.
2. Mr. Eladio Malupa, 73, Vice President of the Caraga Federation of
Tree farmers and Developers, Inc. (CFTFDI or CaragaFed), Agusan
del Sur. Ladio was impressed by the wood-processing facilities
available to tree farmers, especially since these are ways to generate
employment and add value to products.
3. Mr. Gregorio Mitchao, President of the Caraga Federation of Tree
Farmers and Developers,Inc. (CFTFDI/CaragaFed), Agusan del Norte.
For Greg, he valued the traditional practices that he saw in the tree
farms and Indonesia, and hopes to be able to apply multiple cropping
while continuing to introduce new innovations.
4. Mr. Ronulfo Paler, 46, Environmental Management Specialist of
Agusan del Sur-Environment and Natural Resources Office. Popong
learned about applying an integrated management system, with
maximum utilization of the land area. He also saw the need for political
will of government officials to support small-scale tree farmers,
especially with regards to using permits for establishing wood
processing plants.
5. Mr. Ricarido Teniola, 70, Forester-In-Charge of the CaragaFed. Ric
saw the benefit of intercropping using medicinal herbs and plants.
Name
Florio Josafat Jr.
Organizational Affiliation
Bibahilita Farmers Multi-Sectoral Group
Association, Inc.
Eladio Malupa
Prosperidad-San Francisco Rosario Tree

Farmers Association
Caraga Federation of Tree Farmers and
Developers, Inc.
Gregorio Mitchao
Ronulfo Paler
Ricarido Teniola
Environment and Natural Resources

Office - Provincial Government of
Agusan del Sur
Caraga Federation of Tree Farmers and
Developers, Inc.
Address
P-4, Poblacion
Bislig City
Surigao del Sur
# 4 Poblacion, Prosperidad
Agusan del Sur
6th St. Ext. Guingona Subd.
Jose P. Rizal, Butuan City
Agusan del Norte
Government Center
Patin-ay, Prosperidad
Agusan del Sur
Purok 4, Taglatawan
Bayugan, Agusan del Sur
25
Indonesia
6. Mr. Andreas Setijo Nugroho, 35, Staff of the Dinas Kehutanan Dan
Perhutanan Wonosobo. Andreas was interested in learning about the
experiences of the Filipino tree farmers.
7. Mr. Budi Waluyo, 29, Member, Kelompok Tani Ngudi Rahayu. Budi
appreciated the curiosity of Filipino farmers and the strength from
collectivity.
8. Mr. Herman Sudiyanto, 51, Bapeda Kabupaten Wonosobo.
9. Mr. Sabar, 33, Kelompok Tani Ngudi Rahayu. Sabar highlighted the
learning about establishing seed nurseries for peoples forests, and the
collectivity of tree farmers.
10. Mr. Subihan, 35, Kelompok Tani Ngudi Rahayu. Subihan valued what
he perceived from the experience of the Filipinos, that they have a
strong spirit to manage large areas of forest.
11. Mr. Sukoco, 36, Leader, Kelompok Tani Ngudi Rahayu. Koco
appreciated the recommendations and suggestions of his counterparts
from the Philippines, particularly on using strip model from east to west
for planting trees.
12. Mr. Supriyadi, 48, Staff of the Dinas Kehutanan Dan Perkebunan
Kabupaten Gunungkidul. Supriyadi learned from Filipino farmers about
establishing nurseries so that seedlings can be provided for the
community.
13. Mr. Tumino, 47, Secretary of the Pengurus KTHR Sekar Pijer. Tumino
learned about developing forest management through community
planning and optimizing intercropping by using seasonal crops.
Name
Andreas Setijo
Nugroho
Budi Waluyo
Dinas Kehutanan dan PerkebunanKabupaten Wonosobo
KTH Ngudi Rahayu
Herman Sudiyanto
Bapeda Kabupaten Wonosobo
Sabar Rahayu
KTH Ngudi Rahayu
Subihan
Ngudi Rahayu
Sukoco
Ngudi Rahayu Farmers Group
Supriyadi
Dinas Kehutanan dan PerkebunanKabupaten Gunungkidul
Tumino
Pengurus KTHR Sekar Pijer
Address
Kenteng Kejiwan Wonosobo, Wonosobo,
Jawa Tengah
RT/RW 02/01 Bogoran, Sapuran,
Wonosobo, Jawa Tengah
Wonobungkah, RT04/RT05 Jlamprang,
Wonosobo, Wonosobo
Jawa Tengah
RT/RW 03/02 Wadas Bogoran Sapuran,
Wonosobo, Jawa Tengah
RT/RW 08/02 Wadas Bogoran
Sapuran, Wonosobo, Jawa Tengah
RT 3/RW I Bogoran
Sapuran, Wonosobo, Jawa Tengah
Ngepung RT10 RW05
Desa Bunder, Patur, Gunungkidul, DI
Yogyakarta
Pijenan Giri Sekar, Panggang, Gunungkidul,
DI Yogyakarta
26
The participants and organizers are grateful to the following people who
participated in selected sessions. They graciously hosted and exchanged
experiences with visiting participants.
Session in Bogoran Village, Wonosobo, 21 March 2006
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Sumantoro, Camat, Kecamatan Sapuran

Slamet Robiyanto, Ngudi Rahayu
Musodik, Ngudi Rahayu
Sitifadhilah, PKK-POKJO III
Suparman, Ngudi Rahayu
Suripto, Ngudi Rahayu
Pak Ginar, Ngudi Rahayu
P. Kaswito, Ngudi Rahayu
Muhsinin, Ngudi Rahayu
Abdul Arif, DPRD
W. Prayitno, Kaup-Umum
Kuswanto, Perangkat Desa
Naryanto, Kadus Kyuni
Foster Families in Bogoran, 21-22 March 2006

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Tikno Diharjo (for Ladio and Subihan)

Slamet R. (for Greg and Supriyadi)
Triyogi (for Ric and Tumino)
Ibu Muhyanto (for Jun and Andreas)
Mushodik (for Popong and Sabar)
Priyo (for Herman and Budi)
Sukoco (for the organizing team)
Session in Wonosobo District Hall, 22 March 2006

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
Hon. Koliq Arif, Bupati, Kabupaten Wonosobo

C. Krustanto, Repesentative, DPRD
Abdul Munir, Head, Dinas Kehutanan dan Perkebunan (Dishutbun) di Wonosobo
M. Soleh, Bagian Perekonomian
Agus Purnomo, Bagian Tata Pemerintahan
Agus P, Bagian Perekonomian
Joko Walyono, Dishutbun
Heru, Dishutbun
Warih Suryokoco, KLH
Supriyono, Dinas Pertanian
Eko Yogo, Perhutani, Wonosobo
Nurhayadi, Perhutani, Wonosobo
Soeprapto, Perhutani
Sudarman, Suara Mendeka
Bagyo H, Kedaulatan Rakyat (KR)
Sri Fatonal, Humas Setda
Iwan, Staf Bupati
M. Rasyid, Humas
A. Fajar Wibowo
Agus Wibowo, Protokol
Saeful Toha, Humas
27
Session with Gunungkidul District Officials, 23 May 2006

1. Samsudin, DPRD Represenative and Head of Word Producers Association
2. Drs. Syamsudin, Head, Dinas Kehutanan dan Perkebunan
Sessions with Wood Processing Industries, 22-23 March 2006

1.
2.
3.
4.
Parjono, Ud. Prima Kencara Sawmill, Purworejo, Wonosobo

Hariyadi, Mekar Abadi, Purworejo, Wonosobo
Klaten Depot staff, Yogyakarta
Mr. Radite, furniture shop, Klaten, Yogyakarta
Session in Girisekar Village, Gunungkidul, 23 March 2006

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Budi Utama, Asosasi Pedagag Kayu

Pardi Wiyono, Blimbing
Idi Sentano, Blimbing
Mugijono, Girisekar
Tubijo, Girisekar
Sumedi, Girisekar
Siswo Sukardi, Girisekar
Anwar Samidi, Giri Sekar
Medi Suminarmo, Girisekar
Muji Sumarto, Girisekar
Warno Utomo, Girisekar
Widisukisma, Girisekar
Suyatno, Girisekar
Prapto Winarno, Girisekar
Wahyu D., Panggang
Andreas Sihono, Sekar Eko Jati
Surono, Lembaga ARuPA
Teguh Pambudi, Lembaga ARuPA
Suryanto Sadiyo, Lembaga ARuPA
Izur, Lembaga ARuPA
Organizing Team
Name
Address
1/F Manila Observatory Bldg.
Ateneo de Manila Campus
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
1. Mariel de Jesus
2. Dallay Annawi
Environmental Science for

Social Change (ESSC)
3.
4.
5.
6.
Aliansi Relawan untuk

Penyelamatan Alam (ARuPA)
Dusun Karanganyar RT 10 RW
29 No 200 Sinduadi Mlati
Sleman, Yogyakarta
Asia Forest Network (AFN)
Rizal St., Sacred Heart Village,

Cogon District, Tagbilaran City,
Bohol
Juni Adi
Leily Marciana
Chehafudin
Ronald Ferdaus
7. Rowena Soriaga
28
Appendix C.
Workshop Questions
Participant Orientation and Expectation-Setting (Day 1)

1. How will you give an overview of small-scale tree farming in your area?
2. What questions would you like to ask your counterparts?
Capturing Learnings and Action Planning (Day 4)
1. Based on what you learned from this visit, what short-term actions do you
plan to undertake within next six monthsin your farm? organization?
federation? district/province?
2. What have you learned from this visit that you intend to share with others
in your family? organization? federation? district/province?
3. How do you intend to share what you learned to others in your
organization?
Wrap-Up (Day 5)
1. What processes and systems did you see that you plan to apply?
2. What do you suggest to your counterpart to try to adopt? Tips and tricks to
impart?
29
Appendix D.
Action Plans
Farmer and local government participants who joined the entire schedule of
activities discussed what can be done after they return home from the
learning visit committed to the following actions within the next six months:
1. CaragaFed (Gregorio Mitchao and Florio Josafat)
Within the next 6 months:
o Schedule information drive of federation/association members on what
was learned and observed in Indonesia
o Establish demonstration farm for multiple cropping based on observation
in Bogoran
o Follow up plans and programs on performance of intercropping
o Introduce innovation in order to improve practices of farmers
o Conduct final assessment of implemented programs
Experience or lesson we want to share to others in our organization:
o Unity and hard work coupled with peaceful and clean environment
improves the standard of living of the community
2. Agusan del Sur (Ronulfo Paler, Ricarido Teniola, and Eladio Malupa)
o Re-echo the experience/learnings to Prosperidad tree farmer members
o Incorporate learnings in the formulation of the Environmental Code of
Agusan del Sur
o Organize 5-10 potential tree farmers to teach the learned techniques in
their existing tree farms (trainors training)
o Identify/locate a demonstration farm where the learned/observed
techniques will be applied
o Campaign and promote application of organic fertilizer
Experience or lesson we want to share to others in our organization:
o Contouring techniques
o Maximum utilization of the area: trees plus agricultural crops
o Minimize waste, maximize utilization of forest/tree products harvested
(including twigs, branches)
o Promote use of organic fertilizer
o Highlight the political will observed in district government; encourage
provincial government to adopt practice of issuing small-scale wood
processing permit for planted tree species
How we intend to share our learnings:
o Through re-echo seminar/sharing to tree farmers (use video footage)
o Lobby to legislative body to promote support to tree farming program
30
o Through mentoring, providing technical assistance to identified potential

tree farmers
o Submit report to provincial governor, and copy furnish to the legislative
body
3. Gunungkidul (Supriyadi and Tumino)
Within next 6 months:
o Set up nursery
o Intensify intercropping with kapulaga
o Intensify market management between industrial groups
o Try to plant albizzia as it has good market
o Try to develop goat-keeping
o Make optimal use of land by planting diverse species so that HR farmer
groups can increase their income
o Regular meeting of farmer groups (once a month)
o To inform local government and district forest office in Kabupaten
Gunungkidul of the result of the exchange visit
4. Wonosobo (Budi Waluyu, Sabar Rahayu, and Subihan)
o Plan to have regular meetings
o Policy dissemination
o Enjoy way of life
o Increase curiosity, encourage experimentation
31
Appendix E.
Summary of Participants Evaluation
The participants gave their assessment and comments on the learning visit on
an evaluation form, comprised of a set of questions on the content or
substance dealt with in the learning visit, the process by which the learning
visit was undertaken and facilitated, and logistical arrangements.
Content
Different topics caught the interest of the Indonesian and Filipino participants.
What most interested Mr. Budi Waluyu, who maintains a farm in Bogoran
village, were the policies that affect tree farming. Mr. Herman Sudiyono and
Mr. Andreas, who both work for the local government in Wonosobo, were
most interested in the discussions with government officials. Mr. Supriyadi,
an government official from Gunungkidul District, observed that the Bupati
(head) and other officials of Wonosobo District are responsive and proactive
in the development of private and state forests. Mr. Sabar was concerned
about the illegal fees that unjustly burden the tree farmers in the Caraga,
Philippines. At the same time, he was interested in the inputs being shared by
his fellow tree farmers. Mr. Tumino, Mr. Andreas and Mr. Sukoco were most
interested in the sharing of experiences and knowledge among private tree
farmers coming from Caraga (Philippines), Wonosobo (Indonesia) and
Gunungkidul (Indonesia).
The Filipino participants, on the other hand, were most glad to learn about the
tree farm management practices and policies affecting private tree farms. In
terms of tree farm management, Mr. Mitchao observed the peoples cultural
practices on hutan rakyat (peoples forest) farm development and harvesting
(e.g., harvesting as the need arises), while Mr. Teniola cited the practice of
intercropping annual crops with fast-growing trees that gives the farmers
livelihood while waiting for the tress to mature. On the other hand, Messrs.
Malupa, Josafat and Paler were interested in the local government policies in
Indonesia with regard to tree harvesting and marketing that are supportive of
tree farming, including the proposal of the Wonosobo District government to
issue permits to operate wood processing plants at the local level that,
unfortunately, was not approved by national government.
Of the various sessions, the visit to the hutan rakyat farms in Bogoran,
Wonosobo was cited the most useful session by all five participants from
Caraga, Philippines, where mono-culture is the general practice with limited
intercropping, and the two Indonesian participants from Gunungkidul, where
intercropping is limited by the rocky and infertile soil. They commented that
the visit was very informative and educational, as they saw for themselves the
possibilities of intercropping or integrated farming even in a small piece of
land, including the application of contouring. In the subsequent discussion
with tree farmers in Bogoran, who were members of the Ngudi Rahayu
Farmers Group, Mr. Mitchao observed the enthusiasm of the Bogoran
32
villagers on tree farming. As Mr. Andreas of the District Forest Office shared,
it is through coordination and knowing each others condition that the needs of
farmers in peoples forests in Wonosobo are tackled.
Mr. Mitchao also noted the discussion with the village members of
Gunungkidul useful. He noted the pro-activeness of the village members of
Gunungkidul in growing teak wood in their rocky and infertile land. However,
with the limited time for discussions in Gunungkidul, some participants were
dissatisfied with this session.
Mr. Teniola considered the visit to a wood-processing plant useful in light of
the plan of the CaragaFed to put up a processing plant. Pak Supriadi also
noted the visits to the sawmill and wood-processing plant as useful sessions
because the tree farmers could trace the movement of the wood product from
the raw logs they hauled from the hutan rakyat to other links in the market
chain.
As local government representatives from another area, Mr. Paler, Mr.
Supriadi and Mr. Herman deemed the discussion with Wonosobo District
officials very informative. This session was also considered useful by Mr.
Budi, Mr. Tumino, Mr. Sukoco because it became a venue for them as tree
farmers to know more about initiatives of the local officials as these affect their
livelihood. Mr. Andreas expressed that it would have been better to have
more information regarding sawmill operations. Mr. Malupa found all the
sessions of the learning visit useful but he specified that the most valuable
learning is the support for tree farmers coming from government, which
encourages the farmers to work more.
Some participants commented more time could have been devoted to the visit
to the sawmill and discussion in Gunungkidul, to discuss critical issues and
farming practices.
Process
In general, through the exchange of experiences and knowledge among the
tree farmers from the three areas, the participants gained additional
techniques and knowledge they could in turn apply, adapt and share in their
local communities. Commonalities and difference in the contexts and
systems of tree farming in the three areas surfaced through the sharing, which
either confirmed or questioned what some already know and are practicing
and which also gave potential ideas for improvement. For Mr. Sabar, part of
the learning was also recognizing some of the weaknesses of his farming
methods.
While language differences prevented the Indonesian and Filipino participants
from talking directly with each other much as they wanted to, skillful
interpreters from Arupa bridged the communication gap. Messrs. Malupa and
Paler practiced their basic knowledge of Bahasa Indonesia, while Mr. Budi
and Mr. Sukoco tried their English. Mr. Budi felt that, by using a new
language, he became a different person. It was suggested that a handy
33
Bahasa Indonesia-English/English-Bahasa dictionary or perhaps a more

extensive language briefing prior to the visit might have helped a bit.
Logistics
All the participants were satisfied with the visit kit, which gave them adequate
information on the context of tree farming in the three areas. Similarly, they
also found the meeting venues and accommodation satisfactory. One
participant said that these were clean and comfortable, while another
commented that they were well-entertained. The food also met everyones
satisfaction. According to a Filipino participant, the food was delicious and
plenty. Most of the participants found the field visits satisfactory, although two
participants expressed that time devoted to the field visits was inadequate.
Some participants commented that the field visits were enjoyable and
enriching while promoting learning.
Other Comments and Suggestions
For the improvement of future learning visits, two participants suggested to
allocate more time for every session, especially for question-and-answer
discussions.
One participant from Indonesia proposed that the group from Indonesia
undertake a similar visit to the Philippines. He further expressed his
happiness in making new friends with the Filipinos and with his fellow
Javanese from Gunungkidul.
34
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Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

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Small-Scale Tree Farming

19-23 March 2006

Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

TREE FARM MANAGEMENT ...........................................................4

Building a Future for Small-Scale Tree Farming in the Philippines..19

B. Reenergizing Tree Farmers and District Authorities in Indonesia ..........21

Schedule of Activities ........................................................24

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

Income from Non-Wood Products Grown on Hutan Rakyat

Recovery from Paraserianthes Falcataria Logs (Ud. Prima Kencara)

Recovery from Paraserianthes Falcataria Logs (Mekar Abadi)

Buying Price of Paraserianthes Falcataria Logs (Mekar Abadi)

Selling Price of Tectona Grandis Logs (Klaten Depot)

Modes of Marketing Sengon from Bogoran Village, Wonosobo

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

in Asia. Of the seven potential learning venues identified1, it was determined

Farmers in the three areas are planting on private lands

Host villages in Indonesia expressed appreciation for an activity with the

Kong Kaen, Thailand; Banyumas, Indonesia; Gunungkidul, Indonesia; Kalimantan, Indonesia;

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

II. The Learning Visit

A. TREE FARM MANAGEMENT

Traditional Knowledge in Optimizing Available Land in Bogoran

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

Scientific Knowledge in Plantation Development in Caraga

Intercropping for Product Diversification in Bogoran

* IDR 9,000 = USD 1

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

Wood Productivity Maximization in Caraga

Planting and Propagation Preferences

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

Growing Teak in Girisekar Village, Gunungkidul District

Migration and Preferred Species of Young and Old Farmers

Reflections regarding Certification for Community Forests

CaragaFed members shared that they have undergone workshops and

Modes of Marketing in Wonosobo

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

2. From the village, it is also possible to sell to traders (local traders or

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

Wood Processing Establishments

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

Wonosobo District Government Support to Hutan Rakyat

Gunungkidul District Government Support to Teak Certification

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

certification, the effort is to build capacity for forest management through

Regulating the tree farming industry

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry regulation states that wood processing

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

III. Options for the Future

Multiple cropping with proper forestry silvicultural systems, and

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

Their new Indonesian friends also provided the following suggestions:

Stringent regulations remain one of the main obstacles to small-scale tree

Exploring direct export and improving quality for better income

The suggestions of Indonesian counterparts affirmed these plans:

Shorten market chain and explore possible collaboration between tree

Exchanges regarding governance strategies helped participants find new

Spark Learning Visit on Small-Scale Tree Farming in Asia

constituents. Among other lessons, learning that critical permits relating to

Advocate for the application of practices seen in Indonesia in the

Indonesian participants supported this commitment by giving the following