Recently a gentleman called me to find out details about the Miyawaki Model of Afforestation. I told him whatever I knew, as is my usual practice. However, I don’t publicize my contact number because I do a lot of work to earn my livelihood, and am involved in other projects too, like blood donation. So too many calls may cause confusion and loss of time. But this gentleman got my number from someone, and as he spoke I felt he was concealing something. As the conversation continued I understood that he wished to explore the business potential of the Miyawaki Model of Afforestation. He wondered whether: one, we would object to it, and two, we would give information of the steps involved in the project. Therefore, let me tell all of you who are interested that there are no secrets in the Miyawaki Model of Afforestation.
We have published everything we know on our website through nearly 90 videos. Sometimes we have contradicted our earlier statements. For instance, in the first couple of videos, we recommended planting of creepers and climbers. But we do not promote it now. Two-three years of experience have taught us that creepers and climbers wind themselves around plants and trees, grow wild, and destroy all the small plants and trees. So now we state that creepers and climbers should not be planted for the first three years. Later, if they appear naturally, permit them to grow. Such changes in opinions appear because we are not trained botanists. However, we seek advice from professional botanists, and they help us sincerely too. If we realize our mistakes, we take steps to correct them.
To those interested in floating a business enterprise, what we have to say is that we have absolutely no objection to it. Our aim is not to run a monopoly business. We admit that our technique is expensive. There may be others to give cheaper offers. We are not opposed to that either. That is because when we undertake a project, we try to maintain a certain standard, and that requires big money. It comes to Rs 1.5 lakhs per cent. If you can increase your own labour quotient or reduce the number of saplings or manure, the expense can be brought down to one lakh rupees or even Rs 75,000 per cent. However, when we put up a Miyawaki forest, we offer a guarantee regarding a certain growth rate. If you do not desire that pace of growth, you will be able to reduce the cost of investment. We will only be happy to see more people taking it up as business. Only if more people come into this field and adopt the Miyawaki Model in a professional way, will more trees get planted in our land. Therefore, the more, the merrier.
We are only happy to extend our co-operation and share our knowledge. But as telephonic conversations are rather difficult to manage, we have decided to conduct a one-day workshop that may run into three or four hours. You will have to pay a nominal registration fee. Please register yourselves either for the Malayalam workshop to be conducted on 29 October or the English one, on 6 November. All the details are available on www.crowdforesting.org. Those who register themselves will be allowed to participate in the workshop.
The workshop will be a conversation of sorts. We will show you a couple of videos, tell you what we know, and clear your doubts. If you have ideas about how to reduce the cost or improve the technique further, we will be interested in listening to them. It is our hope that the workshop will be useful to all of us. Those interested in launching a Miyawaki Afforestation business may watch our videos on YouTube. If you have doubts, message or email them to us. We shall send our replies. We have no desire to establish monopoly over the Miyawaki Model of Afforestation. If all the people of Kerala are drawn towards it, we will feel gratified because more area will be covered, and more trees will be planted. Also, steps will be taken to protect and preserve the existing trees. So we shall offer you all help that may be required in this regard. Please register yourselves for the workshop. Our hope is that it will be useful.