Establishment of a forest plantation company using Cupressus macrocarpa

Abstract of the presentation of

Shanuka Fernando

The proposed Cupressus macrocarpa plantation is to be established in a company owned land plot of 20 ha in Ragala in the Nuwara-eliya district. The investment for the plantation is made through shareholder equity and long term bank loans. The expected returns are to be made through thinning, prunings, livestock farming and the final felling at 30 year rotation age. Three permanent staff and hired labour will be employed by the company.

The management prescriptions require seedlings as the plant material and close stocking is done during establishment. Thinning operations start after the second year of establishment where thinned out trees are sold as Christmas trees until the 8^th year. The late thinning will be aiming at timber production.  In pruning, clear bole pruning will be done to improve the stem form of 750 trees in a hectare which is done when the dbh reaches 8 to 10 cm. Complete weed control will be done during the first two years followed by low slash mechanical weeding until the 6^th year. Fertilizing will be done for 2 years depending on the site status.

The main disease that poses a threat to the plantation is the fungal disease known as cypress canker which results in the dieback of branches or the entire tree. The damage can be minimised by thorough observation and removal of affected branches and weak trees. Vigilant observations will be made to protect the plants from fire hazard.

Harvesting will be done by clear-felling and tree length harvesting system. Site preparation activities for the rotation will be conducted after the site has been clear felled.

The target customers will be softwood timber dealers, panel and furniture manufacturers and suppliers and traders of Christmas trees. The end products of the company will be sawn timber, Christmas trees and firewood. In addition livestock farming will be introduced after the 10^th year.

By sawing the felled logs and by drying and treating the sawn timber, more value will be added to the end product. By thinning and pruning, the company will be adding value to those non-timber products as Christmas trees and fuel wood.

A mature Cypressus plantation growing in the hill country of Sri Lanka, Nuwara Eliya