Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India: Farmers in Gujarat and other areas of India who are interested in taking advantage of the rising prices of timber should look to the Melia Dubia tree, also called Malabar neem, malai vembu, hebbevu, or kaadu bevu as a source of profit.

This quickly-growing tree represents a great option for boosting farm income, and can be harvested in as little as 3-5 years for use in paper and pulp, or 5-7 years for use in the plywood industry, making it a great option for most farms.

The numbers behind the profitability of the Melia Dubia tree are quite astonishing. On average, an acre of land can support about 400 Melia Dubia trees. If grown for plywood, these will be ready to sell in an average of 5-7 years, depending on growing conditions. Most typically, the trees will have a total volume of 15 cubic feet by 5 years of age, and up to 20 cubic feet by 7 years.

In most areas, Melia Dubia wood is priced at about Rs 200 per cubic foot, meaning each tree will fetch RS 4,500-6,000. This means that in total, a single acre of Melia Dubia will yield an income of Rs 12-16 lakh or more, depending on market conditions.

The overall investment for growing Melia Dubia is typically less than half of this expected yield, meaning that farmers who grow this tree may be able to double their profits in just 5-7 years.

For more information and to see if growing Melia Dubia/Malabar neem may be a profitable venture, interested farmers can contact local purveyors of Melia Dubia drupes, seeds and seedlings for more details.