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The Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change will launch the National Forestry Season on Friday 23 December in Mangochi.

Minister of Natural Resources, Eisenhower Mkaka, told journalists in Lilongwe that the season this year starts from 15 December to 15 April.

He said the government has partnered with the private sector and other organisations in an initiative called ‘adopt a forest to increase participation in caring for trees.’

An estimated 50 million tree seedlings will be planted during the season.

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The expectation is that over 50 million plus trees will be planted on 29 thousand hectares of land with nine thousand hectares kept for natural regeneration.

Mkaka said, “last year people in the country planted over 54 million trees during the same season and we can confirm a 69 percent survival rate. We know this is not the best, but we are looking at ways and means to get the rate to 85 or even 100 percent,” added the minister.

Mkaka indicated that for the country to achieve the set targets, there is need for the whole nation to join hands and be part of this initiative to halt forest degradation and deforestation.

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