Institutional aspects of tree supply in Indonesia

The Indonesian forestry sector plays a major role in the country's economic development and forestry is the second largest earner. In addition to the traditional exploitation of the natural forest, new forest resources are created through the implementation of large scale national planting programmes. The successful implementation of the Repelita VI tree planting programmes, which total 5.350.000 ha, will require the availability of a constant annual supply of quality tree seed of some 4.5 billion seeds. This corresponds to 150-200 tons of seed per year. The supply of such quantities is clearly a major task which will require a concerted effort by all the different parties involved in aspects of tree seed supply, i.e. seed producers, supplier, research and education centres, government bodies, and the actual seed users. The present supply of tree seed (and other types of forest reprodutive material) in Indonesia is characterized by a number of constraints, such as insufficient seed quantity and quality, lack of coordination and cooperation between major stake holders in the tree seed sub-sector, and a general lack of awareness about the importance of using good quality seed. To overcome these constraints and to meet the increasing demand for good quality tree seed the Ministry of Forestry has decided to prepare and implement a national strategy for tree seed supply, termed "an integrated national tree seed programme". The word "integrated" refers to the necessary integration between seed supply, tree improvement, and gene resource conservation, as well as to institutional and operational integration. The formulation of the national strategy is ongoing and is expected to be completed by the end of 1996. The draft strategy focuses on institutional and organizational arrangement of tree seed supply. It is proposed to establish a national body (the National Tree Seed Authority - NTSA) within the Ministry of Forestry, responsible for planning management, supervision and control of tree seed supply. Institutional coordination between the different stake holders and overall supervision of tree seed supply will be achieved through the establishment of a Forest Seed Body (FSB), composed of policy and decision makers and placed high in the hierarchy of the Ministry. A total of 6 Seed Control and Testing Centres (BPPB's) will be established at the regional level. These centres will be the major focus for development of tree seed supply at the operational level. The BPPB's will function as service and training centres towards seed producers and users, and will carry out registration of seed sources and testing of seed. The training will be planned and supervised by a Human Resources Development Section in the NTSA and implemented through the BPPB's at the regional level