Over 90% of Green Ghana trees survive in Bono region — Report

Over 90 per cent of trees planted in the Bono Region last year under the government’s Green Ghana initiative to reduce deforestation, land degradation and climate change have survived.

Under the initiative, the region last year exceeded its target of 250,000 seedlings mainly dur to the level of high enthusiasm, interest and greater participation among organisations, individuals and farmer groups.

The region planted more than 600,000 to exceed its given target of 250,000 seedlings.

According to research conducted by some agencies such as the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources, some security agencies and non-governmental organisations, only few trees could not survive in the region because they were planted in extremely dry and bushfire prone areas.

Green Ghana

The Green Ghana day has now become an annual event that seeks to mobilise all stakeholders to undertake a massive nationwide tree planting exercise as part of efforts to re-Green Ghana and protect the country’s forest reserves.

The government launched this year's celebration and is scheduled for 10th June, 2022, with a national target of planting a minimum of 20 million trees in a single day by various stakeholders.

Speaking to the media in Sunyani, the Regional Forestry Manager of the Forestry Commission, Mr. Isaac Noble Eshun, said the region has been given a target to plant 1.2 million seedlings of diverse species and few fruit seedlings this year.

The seedlings included teak, mahogany, cassia, ofram, emire, cedrella, gmelina, milletia, kokrodua and mansonia among others and other fruits such as mango, coconut and cashew among others.

Exceed target

Mr Eshun said he was working hard to exceed the 1.2 million target as the region had intensified public sensitization ahead of the exercise to attract more people to participate.

He said the region had nursed seedlings more than the given target, emphasizing that the seedlings would be distributed to the public for free.

Mr Eshun commended the regional Minister, Mrs Justina Owusu-Banahene, for supporting the commission to raise more seedlings for the distribution.

He said the minister charged all the Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) to raise seedlings to support the initiative.