Paper Industry celebrated Paper Day recently to spread the message of environment-friendliness of paper besides debunking myths related to paper usage. The idea of Paper Day has been mooted by the Federation of Paper Traders’ Association of India (FPTA) and supported by industry associations such as Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA).

Speaking on the occasion, Mr A S Mehta President IPMA, said, “It’s a fallacy that Paper Industry is using forests. On the contrary, Paper Industry is helping increase the tree cover in the country through raising pulpwood plantations. So far over 9 lakh hectares of mainly degraded land has been brought under pulpwood plantation by Paper Industry in the country”.

Lauding the Government’s objective of doubling of farm incomes, Mr Mehta said, social or farm forestry promoted by Paper Industry in India could significantly add to the farmers’ incomes. Through intense Research & Development, Paper Industry has developed clones of eucalyptus and other pulpwood trees which can be harvested in 3 years as against gestation period of 5-7 years earlier. So farmers’ incomes can be enhanced much earlier through plantations for Paper Industry.

In his keynote address, Mr J P Narain, Vice President IPMA, expressed concern over India being a fibre deficient country posing a raw material challenge for the Paper Industry despite the availability of large-scale land for pulpwood plantations. He advocated for a tripartite arrangement between Government, Industry and local community for increasing plantations cover on degraded Government land. As a win-win arrangement, local communities and marginal farmers will benefit from socio-economic upliftment, Government will get revenue and industry will get raw material, he said.