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Tiia Monto INDIA
Teak no longer a regulated species – good news for
farmers
Maharashtra’s 2026 decision to remove teak from the list of
regulated species marks a historic shift from colonial-style
control to farmer-centric agroforestry.

The decision sends a clear message that farmers should
not be treated as offenders for harvesting trees they have
nurtured on their own land. The state decision removes the
risk of penalties from harvesting farm-grown teak.
Indonesia's economy by supporting local industries and reducing The State‘s aim is to unlock teak’s role as a “biological
the public's dependence on imported products. savings account” for rural households, boost tree cover, restore
TKDN is one of the government’s instruments to develop degraded land and cut dependence on imported timber.
domestic industries and promote the use of local products. In June 2026, Maharashtra State took a decision that may
reshape the future of agroforestry in India.

Harmonising ASEAN forest management standards Through a notification under the Maharashtra Felling of
At the 27th Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Forest Trees (Regulation) Act, 1964, the state removed teak from the
Product Management the Indonesian government emphasised the list of regulated tree species, substantially reducing barriers
importance of harmonisation of forest management standards. associated with harvesting farm-grown teak.
According to Dida Mighfar Ridha, Director General of At first glance, the notification appears to be a routine
Sustainable Forest Management at the Ministry of Environment administrative amendment.
and Forestry, standardisation is essential for enhancing In reality, it marks the culmination of a policy shift that

sustainable forest management and optimising the utilisation has been underway for more than a decade, a shift from
of forest products. controlling trees to encouraging farmers to grow them.
Indonesia has achieved significant progress in collaborating Teak remains one of the world‘s most valuable tropical
with ASEAN member countries including in the area of the hardwoods. Native to India, Myanmar, Thailand and Laos, it
legality and sustainability of forest products. is now cultivated across Asia, Africa and Latin America.
One notable achievement is the certification system that According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture
guarantees the legality and sustainability of forest products. Organization’s Global Teak Resources and Market Assessment,
This system is a strategic programme that ensures wood India manages nearly 1.69 million hectares of planted teak
products and raw materials are obtained from sources that forests, representing about 35 percent of the worlds teak

meet legal and sustainable management standards. plantation resource.
The same meeting produced several regional policy Yet, India continues to be one of the largest importers
recommendations including the implementation of the ASEAN of teak timber.
cooperation action plan for the development of forest products. Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra States together contain
The cooperation action plan covers areas related to some of India‘s largest teak resources. For both states, teak
trade facilitation, market access and efforts to increase the is not merely a forest species it is increasingly becoming an
competitiveness of ASEAN forest products. agroforestry long-term financial asset for rural households.