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           Using A1 Freight Forwarding air freight for transportation from Toronto, Ontario to Kathmandu in Nepal, the cost to ship 60 seedlings in one box is $229.62 CAD. Below, in table 1, is a breakdown of the shipping fees and total cost to send 60 seedlings in 1 box, measuring 4 x 25 x 25 inches from Toronto to Katmandu in Nepal. Since the seedlings will be shipped bare root and dormant with no leaves, the seedlings are very light and are not as tender for shipping. The A1 Freight Forwarding quote chart did not accept entries of less than 1 lb. per box. A study showed that sugar maple saplings weighed less than 100 grams after 3 growing seasons including the leaf/root weight and were under 60cm in height (Carl et al. n.d.). This is how the box size of 4 x 25 x 25 inches was determined and the weight to ship was estimated. 

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Table 1: Breakdown of Weight for A1 Freight Forwarding for a 12lbs. box 4 x 25 x 25 inches

Air Freight Rate

$6.20 CAD/ kg

Actual Weight

5.44 kg

Volume Weight

6.83 kg

Chargeable Weight

6.83 kg

(A1 Freight Forwarding Quote, 2016)

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          The actual weight of the box is 1.4 kg (3lbs.) less than the chargeable weight, this means if Nepal was looking for a larger investment, more seedlings could be shipped for the same price. Five seedlings is equivalent of about one pound of shipping weight, meaning roughly 15 more seedlings can be shipped for the same price of sending 60 seedlings to Nepal. Looking at the breakdown of the cost in table 2, it is evident that the price of the actual air freight versus the processing and screening fees is much less. If Nepal was interested in having a larger investment, it would be cheaper to send more seedlings at once than to ship another small amount later on as the flat fees will remain the same. 

 

Table 2: Breakdown of Cost for A1 Freight Forwarding for a 12lbs. box 4 x 25 x 25 inches

Air Freight

$ 59.62 CAD

Terminal and Screening Fee

$ 95.00 CAD

Processing Fee

$ 75.00 CAD

TOTAL

$229.62 CAD

 (A1 Freight Forwarding Quote, 2016)

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          Once the seedlings arrive in Katmandu, Nepal, the seedlings can be transported to an area near by the capital for planting in the hill region of Nepal. The hill regions is not too far for transporting the seedlings to an open area where they can be planted immediately at the time of arrival. This region is also a good location to plant the trees for their ecological services, helping against soil erosion (Brown and Shrestha, 2000). In addition, the closeness to a where people live is ideal for community farming making the resources close for easier access.