Mr. Augustine Kofi Gyedu, Ashanti Regional Manager of the Ghana Forestry Commission, has disclosed that the Commission is targeting 4 million trees this year in Ashanti Region.
This forms part of the Commission’s mission to plant 20 million trees nationwide to replace Ghana’s deteriorating green forest.
The Ghana Forestry Commission, in 2021, as part of the Green Ghana Project, planted over 7 million trees across the country.
“This year, we are targeting to plant 20 million trees nationwide. In Ashanti Region alone, we are planting 4 million trees. All the district assemblies in Ashanti are taking part in the exercise,” Mr. Augustine Kofi Gyedu disclosed to Oyerepa Online in Tuesday’s exclusive interview.
He explained that 2,163,000 of the trees would be planted in the various forest reserve of the Region, and the remaining 1,837,000 seedlings would be cultivated in the outside reserve areas. The project is expected to kick start in June. This will solve climate changes issues in the country.
Modified Taungya System (MTS)
The Forestry Commission will embark on the Modified Taungya System (MTS), where farmers would be given portions of the degraded forest reserves to cultivate food crops as well as plant trees. The farmers will be allowed to take their foodstuffs and also have a forty percent (40%) shares in the trees planted. Under the MTS, the Ashanti Regional Forestry Commission looks forward to planting 3,000 hectares of trees while 9,000 hectares of trees are expected to be cultivated nationwide.
Youth in Afforestation
Under the Forestry Commission’s Youth in Afforestation program, over 10,000 participants in the Ashanti Region are expected to plant 1,000 hectares of trees in the course of the year.
Enrichment Planting
Mr. Kofi Gyedu further declared that his outfit is anticipating at least planting 1,000 hectares of trees under the Forestry Commission’s enrichment project.
Coppice Management
Under the Coppice Management Programme, Mr. Kofi Gyedu said the Forestry Commission in Ashanti is targeting 1,500 hectares.
He said the Commission is also going to maintain about 19,000 hectares of old plantation stands in the Region.
He, however, pleaded with all stakeholders to make it a responsibility to participate in the Forestry Commission’s numerous projects to revive Ghana’s deplorable forest reserves.
Source: Oyerepafmonline.com/Joseph Marfo
