Enhancing Timber Farmer Income: Implementing Volume Tapes and Market Analysis through a Multilevel Perspective

Forest farmers struggle to accurately assess the volume of merchantable wood from standing trees, impacting their income and the sustainability of forest resources. This research aims to develop a volume tape to help farmers estimate the volume of merchantable wood and identify potential issues during the wood market diffusion process. Hopefully, the volume tape practice enables farmers to minimize potential income losses and preserve private forests. The tape was developed through destructive sampling using 532 dominant tree species in private forests across several districts in Java and Sumatra, involving key variables, namely stem diameter at breast height (D), tree height (H), and wood volume (V). The research was conducted in stages since 2000, with a one-year breakdown for each tree species. Data for the diffusion analysis were collected from five farmer groups that contributed their forests for wood volume modelling, intermediaries, sawn-timber owners, timber traders, forestry extension workers, and related institutions. Data collection was conducted through interviews and focus group discussions. The Smalian's formula was used to calculate roundwood volume, while two wood volume estimation models, i.e. Formula: see text and Formula: see text were tested. The diffusion process was analyzed using a Multilevel Perspective (MLP) approach. This study revealed that the volume tape proved to offer a constructive solution to address farmers’ difficulties and ensure the sustainability of private forests. Furthermore, the volume tapes were gradually accepted by the market and received significant support for further implementation through a systematic learning process within the regulatory framework. The use of the tape in private timber transactions also maintains the forest's function as a carbon sink, thus supporting environmental sustainability. This finding has the potential to increase the efficiency of wood utilization (carpentry and firewood), reduce waste, and encourage sustainable forest management, strengthening the overall structure of the timber market and minimizing farmer income losses.