Borujerd – Iran has taken a new step toward expanding commercial timber farming with the production of 100,000 poplar saplings for the first time in Borujerd County, the western province of Lorestan, a local natural resources official announced.

 

Ehsan Lotfi, head of the Borujerd Department of Natural Resources and Watershed Management, said the saplings were produced at the county's forest nursery and are being distributed to private growers under a participatory program aimed at promoting timber cultivation.

 

He said one- and two-year-old poplar saplings are available to farmers and investors for planting on suitable land.

 

Lotfi described poplar as one of the most suitable tree species for commercial timber production due to its rapid growth, noting that it can typically be harvested within five years, providing an attractive source of income for growers.

 

He added that expanding poplar cultivation will help meet part of the country's demand for wood products while reducing pressure on natural forests, conserving forest resources, creating rural employment, and increasing producers' incomes.