Japan govt agency supporting planting of fast-growing trees

May 8, 2019

Tokyo, May 8 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Forestry Agency has launched a financial support program for prefectural and municipal governments, and forestry businesses that are promoting planting of fast-growing trees.

The volume of fast-growing trees that have been planted in the country is limited at present although costs are relatively small.

The time from planting until logging is 20-40 years for fast-growing trees, such as chinaberry and China fir trees, far shorter than 50-60 years for other trees.

Research on fast-growing tree planting is being conducted mainly in western Japan areas. As it has not been long since such research started, however, accumulation of data, including on locations fit for such trees, is insufficient, and

this works as a factor impeding the promotion of fast-growing trees, according to the government agency.

The program provides subsidies of up to 546,000 yen per hectare to help cover the costs of purchasing saplings of fast-growing trees and planting them, and up to 75,000 yen for weed removal, officials of the agency said.

Using the program, China fir saplings will be planted in a 2-hectare area in Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, and in a 5-hectare area in neighboring Tottori Prefecture in fiscal 2019, which started last month.



The agency plans to continue the program in fiscal 2020 and later. In fiscal 2020, the agency plans to create a pool of data related to the program, including species of trees planted, areas of planting and suppliers of saplings, the officials said. The agency hopes that the database will be used for research, among other purposes, the officials said. Jiji Press