Over 42 million trees planted in 2016-17 season

Over 42 million trees were planted in the just ended 2016/2017 National Forestry Season, the Department of Environment and Climate Change Affairs in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining has said. 

The National Forestry Season which was launched by President Peter Mutharika on January 25, 2016 ended on April 15, 2017. 

Initially, the department’s target was to plant 60 million trees planted during the season on customary land, plantation and forest reserve areas. 

Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, spokesperson for the department Sangwani Phiri expressed optimism that the nation will beat the target considering that the exercise is still continuing even though the season is over. 

Phiri added that the department through assistance forestry officers is still compiling data on the number of trees planted in each district. 

He hailed the coordination between government, corporate world and the public at large in supporting the initiative which is aimed at recovering what he called, the much depleted ground cover. 

“We are just four days away from the closing of the season but tree planting is still continuing particularly in the north where heavy rains are still being experienced,” said Phiri. 

Last year 54 million trees were planted national wide.