Ntchisi to plant 1.5 million trees

Ntchisi District says it plans to plant about 1.5 million trees during this year’s tree planting season.

Last year, 63 percent of the 1.5 million trees which the district planted survived, according to the district’s assistant forestry officer responsible for extension Boniface Chinkonda.

“We have intensified sensitisation meetings with communities on management of the trees and we are also going to embark on monitoring visits to check if the trees are being taken care of,” he said.

The assistant forest officer said Total Land Care, World Vision, and Alliance One are some of the organisations that will provide tree seedlings for the district.

Ntchisi District Council chairperson Phillip Tsogolani called on people in the district to plant many trees and refrain from charcoal burning which he said is the major cause of deforestation.

Total Land Care zone manager Richard Mseka pledged his organisation’s continued support towards agro-forestry activities in the district.

President Peter Mutharika launched this year’s national tree planting season on December 18 2017 at Mwanza Catholic Primary School in Mwanza  under the theme Restore Forests, Protect the Environment.  n