How fast does Gmelina arborea (gamhar) grow and what is it used for?

Gmelina arborea, called gamhar or white teak, is a fast growing timber and pulp tree used for plywood, light furniture, packing wood and paper pulp. On good sites with adequate moisture it grows quickly and can give a harvest in roughly 6 to 10 years, with thinnings earlier. It prefers fertile, well drained, moist soils and does not do as well on dry poor land. Income is a wide range depending on site quality, girth, survival and the mill or timber rate at sale. Use good quality planting material and give early irrigation where possible. It is grown both in blocks and on boundaries, and intercropping is possible in the early years. Confirm local buyer demand, plywood or pulp, before planting a large area, and check your state transit pass rules for the harvested timber.