Whose interest was prominent in the policy of commercial forestry?

Correct answer: Colonial government and timber merchants

Under commercial forestry, the colonial government promoted planned production of commercially useful timber for railways, ships and other official needs, while also increasing revenue from the timber trade. Therefore, the interests of the colonial government and timber merchants were prominent. Forest communities, shifting cultivators and pastoralists were often harmed by restrictions on cultivation, grazing and forest use. Exam tip: distinguish between the groups that benefited from colonial forest policy and those whose customary rights were restricted.