FRWO and ETKA Sign a Cooperation Memorandum

A joint cooperation memorandum was signed between Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization (FRWO) and ETKA in the field of wood cultivation and conservation of natural resources.

ETKA organization with 60 years of experience in the field of supplying and distributing the consuming products and goods, is known as a vanguard pattern in the area of capital management, financial and economical business, and operating the greatest supply chain management with the approach of creating value and wealth in Iran. ETKA is one of the superior economic holding of Iran and the owner of the greatest distributing network of consuming products in national market and a suitable trade cooperator in international market.

 
The ceremony was held in the presence of Mr. Khalil Aghaee, Deputy Minister and Head of FRWO, Mr. Mahmud Shakeri, the member of Economic Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Mr. Mahdi Karbala'i, Managing Director of ETKA and Mr. Behdoust Kolabi, Managing Director of Shafarood Forest Company at the FRWO Headquarters.

Khalil Aghaee, in the ceremony said that since March 2018, all contracts for logging amounting to over 110 contracts, in the Caspian Forests have been canceled in line with forest restoration and sustainable forest management which shows a five percent decrease in wood smuggle compared to previous year.

He said that the wood farming has particular role in this process and added that the Shafarood Forest Company which has been transferred to ETKA used to be among the wood harvesting forestry companies.

The commitment of FRWO in the sixth Five-Year Development Plan is to develop wood farming in 75,000 hectares of lands. Therefore, FRWO encourages wood farming both in state lands and private lands through participatory mechanisms.

Mr. Aghaee added that the Memorandum of Understanding aims to promote wood farming and forest protection and help prevent illegal harvesting and trafficking for a 10 year period.

He also named poplar, Eucalyptus and Paulownia from amongst species to be used in wood cultivation and said that in case of confirmation of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands (RIFR) new varieties can be added to this list.


The first priority of Shafarood is to preserve forests
Mohammad Mehdi Karbala'i, Managing Director of ETKA said that the utilization of the forests is of second priority for ETKA, while the main objective is to preserve Shafarood forests.

He hoped that the memorandum could hopefully lead to economic recovery in the region. It is noteworthy that there are currently 550 people directly working at Shafarood Company.

Public and private entities are entitled to take over forests through MOUs

Mahmoud Shakeri, Member of Parliament who represents the people of Talesh, Rezvanshahr and Masal in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, also said that based on law FRWO is allowed to sign MoU with the companies for conservation of natural resources and the preservation of forests. He said the Shafarood forest with an area of 120,000 hectares is the biggest forests in Talesh and added the Company can have an effective role in the forest development and wood farming, in addition to forest conservation.

The member of the Economic Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly added that according to the statistics in 2015 and 2016, the volume of imported wood to the country was 1.5 million cubic meters.

He stressed that due to the ban on harvesting in the northern forests, wood farming should be given a deserving place in future planning and the government has to pay at least 60 billion tomans on the basis of the sixth development plan to FRWO for protection of the northern forests of which 50 to 60 percent of the allocated budget was paid last year.

He concluded that the memorandum not only promotes employment and subsistence of local communities through wood farming, but also help protect forests in the region.