The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Benito Owusu-Bio has made a heartfelt request to all well-meaning Ghanaians and residents of Ghana especially the youth to make an intentional effort to plant the tree seedlings they pick up during this year’s Green Ghana tree planting exercise.
The Deputy Minister made this appeal in an interview with Peace Fm on the 2023 Green Ghana Day on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.
He said tree seedlings distributed on the day should be planted and nurtured to maturity and not be left to die.
Responding to a question on why the target has been reduced to 10 million seedlings this year as compared to 20 million last year, Hon. Benito explained that the strategy is to enable them to monitor and nurture previous seedlings planted into maturity.
Answering a question on how to monitor and protect trees after planting, he said the Forestry Commission officers at various Regional and District offices will go monitor to see to an increase in their survival rate.
The Public Relations Manager of the Forestry Commission, Madam Joyce Ofori Kwafo in her presentation explained that the tree planting exercise is done in June, purposely for the rains to water trees planted in the forest reserves.
She gave out the pick-up points for seedlings, spoke on the process for planting, the types of trees seedlings available, and the type of tree seedlings and the appropriate places to plant them while announcing to Ghanaians that seeding distribution has commenced at the Forestry Commission Head Office and all other pick up points.
Madam Joyce also gave out a number of contacts to call for seedlings and more information on the 2023 Green Ghana Day; 0244643780, 0553231031, 0506167130 and 0553250117.
Green Ghana Day Launch
Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, launched the 2023 edition of the Green Ghana Day in Kumasi, which has been slated for 9th June 2023, with a call on all Ghanaians and residents in the country to come out in their numbers and support the national tree planting exercise.
He said the Green Ghana Day presents an opportunity to show patriotism, exhibit our commitment to the protection of our forest resources, and demonstrate our resolve to leave our children with a richer and greener Ghana.
The Asantehene lauded Government for initiating the Green Ghana Project. He underscored the importance of trees to environmental protection, climate change mitigation, and the survival of the planet.
He said it was because of these benefits that he committed to planting some 2.5 million trees towards the protection of Lake Bosomtwe, in the Ashanti Region.
The Green Ghana Day was first launched by Government in 2021, under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, as part of an aggressive afforestation and reforestation agenda, to restore the lost forest cover of the country.
The maiden edition targeted the planting of five million (5,000,000) trees, but over seven million (7,000,000) trees were planted. Last year, over twenty-six million (26,000,000) trees were planted, exceeding the target of twenty million (20,000,000).
