Over 8 Billion Seedlings Readied for This Green Legacy Planting Season: PM Abiy

Addis Ababa, June 13, 2026 (ENA) —Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that more than 8 billion seedlings have been raised and are fully ready for this Green Legacy planting season.

In a social media statement, the Prime Minister said the seasonal preparations are complete, emphasizing the need for a collective drive to "plant hope for a greener tomorrow."

Over the last seven years, public mobilization efforts have significantly expanded the national forest canopy, driving a notable rebound in forest coverage from 17.2 percent in 2019 to 24 percent.

The strategic focus of the program has shifted to incorporate fruit-bearing trees like avocado, mango, papaya, and apple, successfully boosting local dietary nutrition and securing international export revenue.

The initiative has maintained an aggressive trajectory toward meeting its grand national goals through successive multi-year planting cycles.

During its inaugural year in 2019, the campaign successfully engaged 20 million citizens and broke an early record by planting 350 million seedlings within a single day.

On July 31, 2025, the country achieved an extraordinary global milestone under the theme “Renewal Through Planting,” mobilizing 27.7 million citizens to plant 714.7 million seedlings in 12 hours.

The historic 2025 single-day planting drive pushed the cumulative total of planted seedlings to 48 billion, positioning the nation on the immediate verge of its ultimate 50-billion target.

On the international stage, the Green Legacy initiative has strengthened Pan-African solidarity by sharing millions of climate-resilient seedlings with neighboring nations, including Djibouti, South Sudan, and Kenya.