BY DARGIE KAHSAY
Ethiopia has exceeded its target plan of planting 20 billion trees within four years through its Green Legacy initiative launched in 2019. During the past three years, Ethiopia has planted over 18 billion trees and until July 30 of the fourth year of plantation season, the country has planted over 5.5 billion seedlings, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. Ethiopia’s target during this plantation season, the fourth year of the first round initiative, is to plant six billion seedlings.
Launched in early June 2022, the fourth-year seedling plantation targets to plant six billion seedlings by preparing over seven billion seedlings. Of the total planned seedlings to plant during this rainy season, 52 percent covers plants for food security purposes, vegetables and fruits, while the remaining 48 percent aim for forest coverage and urban beautification. So far, by mobilizing millions of Ethiopians, over 5.5, billion seedlings were planted and from the total planted seedlings; the Ministry of Agriculture announced that 54 percent covers plants for food security purposes.
Umer Hussein, Minister of Agriculture, said that the implementation of the initiative especially its focus on fruits for food security purposes attracts more of the public and that is why the rate of fruits is increasing beyond the target. The people become aware of the benefits of seedling plantation and now the plantation develops to cluster farming of vegetables and fruits in addition to the plantation for forest coverage.
Speaking to Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC), Agriculture Minister Umer Hussein said that he has planted over 250 seedlings only this season by accepting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s call for 100 seedlings challenge for top government officials. “I accept the challenge and achieved the 100 seedling challenge from the PM. Not only achieving the 100 seedlings but also exceeding the set target. So far I have planted over 250 seedlings and I will continue planting seedlings,” Umer stated. The Minister noted that not only he, but the people across the country are also actively participating in the plantation and the fourth year of seedling plantation is underway with the active participation of the people across the country.
Concerning the performance, lessons and achievements from the four years of plantation experience, Umer stated as a country, Ethiopia takes good lessons and secured multidimensional achievements in the sector. Though the initiative brings multidimensional achievements and benefits, the biggest achievement is that it makes the people own the initiative and give due care to planting and protecting trees.
“Though there were difficulties and challenges here and there that can divert the attention of the people not only from the seedling plantation but also even from other day-to-day activities, by challenging the challenges, the people of Ethiopia actively participated in the seedling plantation. The public mobilization during these years was beyond imagination and that is why the performance exceeds the target goal,” Umer said.
Generally, according to Umer, the initiative brings huge achievements for Ethiopia. During the initial year of the initiative, the numbers of nursery centres across the country were around 27 thousand, but now the number of nurseries increased to 130 thousand. The initiative also helps the country to give due attention to planting plants for food security purposes and now plantation of seedlings for food security purposes develops to planting fruits for commercial purposes by introducing cluster plantation. So far, according to Umer, cluster farming was only limited to crops, but following the green legacy initiative, cluster farming is implemented in the seedling plantation.
For Umer, the Green Legacy initiative was launched mainly with three objectives. First, it aims to combat climate change and its impacts by fulfilling the national role of Ethiopia though it needs a global response. Secondly, expanding plants for food security and nutrition purposes and the third one was widening the agricultural export bases of Ethiopia. Ethiopia has secured around 24 billion trees so far and the average survival rate over the past three years is over 81 per cent, he added. In addition, the percentage of plants for food security purposes is growing from year to year and owned by the people. Hence, if we see these performances, the initiative was successful in all forms.
“But if you ask me the best achievement from this initiative and the lessons taken from it, it is the mobilization of the people. The commitment and the mobilization of the people of Ethiopia during these plantation seasons was something special and it makes me surprise. This is the best achievement and the people of Ethiopia already own the initiative to make it a culture, it is a big lesson for us” Umer noted. Still, there is a gap in caring for the planted seedlings even in mobilization and awareness. Hence, to make the initiative fully successful, it needs a due attention to for caring and protecting the seedlings.
The average survival rate of the planted seedlings during the past years is over 80 per cent and the global agreement to say good performance in seedling survival is 70 per cent, Umer stated. If we evaluate the survival rate from this point, the survival rate of the planted seedlings during the Green Legacy
initiative is in a good position. “But, since we are planting billions of trees, losing 20 percent means huge, hence, it needs due attention to increase the survival rate.” Except for the limitation in caring, the initiative is successful in all qualifications.
According to Umer, the seedling plantation is now developing to develop trees for economic purposes which has three layers, smallholder farmers with their fields, private sector investors and planting in communal land for mutual societal purposes. By selecting some commodities, now the plantation for commercial and food security purposes is developing to cluster level, especially in banana, mango and coffee.
Hence, in addition to protecting the ecology, biodiversity and forest coverage plus conservation of soil, the Green Legacy initiative is contributing its role to developing food and nutrition security at a national level. Beyond that, it helps maximize commercial trees.
The Ethiopian Herald 7 August 2022
