ADDIS ABABA – The Oromia state government has announced that it has finalized preparation to plant 3.5 billion trees in the coming Ethiopian rainy season. Girma Amenti, (PhD), state Rural Development Cluster Coordinator with the rank of Vice President told Ethiopian Press Agency during last year’s ‘green legacy’ campaign, the state has managed to plant some two billion seedlings and achieved 100 percent of the plan.
Based on this performance, the state has been preparing some 3.5 billion tree seedlings in various areas. The seedling types are selected by taking their future utilization into consideration. They can be used as inputs for the construction sector and fruit and other agricultural products processing companies.
According to the Coordinator, the time span it takes to process for preparing the seedlings differ based on their types and the seedling stations. Up until now, 2.3 billion tree seedlings have been prepared, Girma said.
Apart from tree seedlings, the state is also working to achieve its plan of planting 1.1 billion coffee tree seedlings. The plan aims to expand coffee plantation around coffee growing areas particularly in areas that are severally affected by soil acidity.
The major problem/shortcoming identified so far is the inability to properly identify the planning locations before the seedlings are transferred to be planted in the area. To overcome this problem, activities are well underway to identify and prepare beforehand locations to plant the seedling using GPS.
As to the Coordinator, the tree plantation program will be undertaken in all zones, woredas and towns of the state. In areas where the rainfall starts early, the tree plantation has already been started, but the major tree plantation will be conducted once the major rainy season starts across the country.
The Water and Soil Protection Authority has identified one million hectares of land for the tree plantation campaign. Girma also indicated that following the campaign the proper nurturing of trees need to receive priorities in order to restore the country’s forests. “If not so, it would be impossible to ensure that the country recovers its forests through the campaign.”
Most of the tree seedlings plantation will be conducted on areas where basin development activities have been undertaken during the rainy season. Once the seedlings planted and develop, the community has to put in place plan based basin management. This will also start this year.
Last year up to six million people have participation in the tree plantation campaign. The state is planning to double the number during this year’s campaign.
The Ethiopian herald June 4,2020
BY STAFF REPORTER
