Benso (W/R), Oct. 17, GNA - Two oil palm companies in the Western and Central regions, have embarked on a joint tree planting exercise aimed at promoting health and environmental purity. Under the week-long exercise, workers of the companies, Benso Oil Palm Plantation (BOPP) and Twifo Oil Palm Plantation (TOPP) would plant a tree each and look after them for a reward.

A total of 400 trees are expected to be planted by the 353 workers of the two companies and some school children. The two plantations are subsidiaries of Uniliver Ghana.

Mr Charles Cofie, Chief Executive of Uniliver Ghana Limited and other directors participated in the exercise. Launching the exercise under the theme: "Sustaining Biodiversity - My Tree, My life," at separate functions at Benso and Twifo Ntafrewaso, Neneyo Mate-Kole, Managing Director of BOPP/TOPP said, the trees would be planted close to the workplaces and residential areas to enable workers give the necessary care and protection. Nenenyo Mate-Kole said tree planting other than palm trees, was not new to BOPP/TOPP and added that last year alone, some 2,054 tree species like teak, neem rubber citrus and militia were planted using hired labour.

This year, however, "we want to be self reliant by getting everyone on our pay roll involved in the exercise.

Nenenyo Mate-Kole said management was developing a manual on its tree planting project to entrench the practice in the company. The manual, which is expected to be out-doored next year, would ensure that the right type of trees were planted at the right place and in the right period.

He said there were also plans to set up herbal arboretum close to the company's oil palm nursery to help preserve both foreign and local medicinal plant species, which would serve as a tourist site. Nana Amoah Sasarku III, Omanhene of Twifo Heman Traditional Area and Nana Appiah Nuamah II, Omanhene of Twifo Mampong Traditional Area, who also planted a tree each commended the management for initiating the programme and urged workers of the plantations to support the exercise.