Nation Plants 2.6 Billion Trees

Addis Ababa ENA July 24/2019 Ministry of Agriculture disclosed that the country has already planted 2.6 billion trees slated to meet the 4 billion trees planting national project.

The national 4 billion trees planting project officially launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on May 26, 2019 is set to mobilize national reforestation program of planting 40 tree seedlings per head.

Furthermore, he announced the planting of 200 million saplings in a single day by 29, July 2019, expecting to break a world record so far held by India.

In line with this, Agriculture Minister, Umar Hussen told ENA that the distribution of seedlings for planting will be completed on Friday.

Nationwide monitoring of planted seedlings will be conducted to ensure that the planted trees would be grown, he said.

This will continue even in the future to identify which seedlings have grown and where and which ones have died out or have been nourished by those who planted them, he added.

The national initiative is critical for Ethiopia, which the country had lost billions of trees and forest resources over years. 

Most of the seedlings planted are from indigenous tree species, it was learned.