BY ASHENAFI ANIMUT
ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia’s green legacy initiative has been gathering momentum as the country has finalized preparations to plant 6.5 billion seedlings in the coming rainy season, the Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD) announced.
The Green Legacy and Artificial Forestry Director Aberu Tena told the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that the nation has envisioned for planting 6.5 billion seedlings in the coming rainy season, among this 2.2 billion would aim at contributing to forest development and the balance would be for agro forestry.
Amounting to 88% of the seedlings which are planted last year have proliferated, he said adding that the ministry has made 719,000 hectares of land ready to plant seedlings in the forthcoming rainy season throughout the nation. Moreover, among the total reserved areas for plantation, more than 157,000 ha is granted on lease. Similarly, some 1,200 tons of seed was collected and distributed.
“In the green legacy initiative, it was possible to establish more than 120,000 seedling stations to produce and provide concerned bodies with qualified seedlings keeping the standard as about 2.5 million seedlings in the aforesaid stations,” the director remarked. He said: “Alongside the preparations of holes to carry out the operation in the coming June and July, we are jointly working with various states to facilitate the intended project.”
Accordingly, the planted seedlings are cultivated and protected by legal entities such as government, individuals, communities and associations, he opined. Last year, over 3.4 billion seedlings were planted under the green legacy initiative and in the current raining season Sidama and South states have planted about 32 million seedlings, it was learnt.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 24 MAY 2023
