Unveil cutting edge tree nursery @ Guntur

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology and Research recently launched a new, cutting-edge tree nursery at Vadlamudi, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. 

The nursery will contribute to local and national climate change mitigation goals by boosting plant production to sequester carbon, while harnessing the latest agroforestry tools to bolster the resilience of Andhra Pradesh’s farming system. 

The high-tech nursery is set to become a central hub in the state for large-scale propagation of indigenous tree species, with the capacity to produce one million healthy plants annually, adding to the state’s carbon sink. 

USAID Mission Director Ms Veena Reddy, said, the collaboration builds upon decades of U.S.-India cooperation, now advancing shared global development priorities, particularly mitigating climate change by investing in climate-smart agriculture practices. 

Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology and Research,  Chairman and Chancellor, Mr Lavu Rathaiah, said, “Vignan’s Foundation is committed to strengthening the science of plant propagation and best practices in nursery management. 

Mr Manoj Dabas, Chief of Party, Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI) Program, said, “The establishment of the high-tech nursery reflects the collective commitment of the government, research organisation and educational institution to advance agroforestry systems such as trees outside forests in the state”. 

This initiative is a key advancement in the Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI) Program, a five-year collaboration between USAID and India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MOEFCC), implemented by a consortium led by the Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF).  

Launched nationally in September 2022, the TOFI program will foster collaboration among farmers, government agencies and private institutions to expand tree coverage rapidly.