Koforidua, Oct. 16, GNA- The Forestry Services Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission in the Eastern Region is to spend three billion cedis on re-forestation of 4,200 hectares of degraded forests this year. The Forestry shall use 1.5 billion cedis of the amount to purchase seedlings from communities and individuals.

The Eastern Regional Manager of the FSD, Mr Walter Gyabaah-Atuoni, who disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Koforidua on Wednesday, said last year, the region exceeded its national re-forestation target of 3,000 hectares by planting 3,474 hectares. In the five forest reserve districts where the project was undertaken, he said, farmers at Begoro planted 1,840 hectares, Mpraeso, 936; Oda, 420; Kade, 100 and Somanya, 178.

Mr Gyabaa-Atuoni said last year, about 7,000 farmers were involved in the project and over a billion cedis was spent on them for seed raising and pegging while they bore the cost of land preparation and maintenance of the agro-farms

He urged rural communities and individuals to embrace the Presidential Special Initiative (PSI) on plantation not only to promote forestation but also to earn revenue.

The Regional Plantation Officer of the Division, Mr Emmanuel Ekow Idun, said between January and September, the region had already planted 4,000 hectares in the five districts including the Afram Plains district, which had been added to the project with 16 hectares of tree species being planted there.

He said about 1.5 billion cedis had been spent on various management practices and complained that the planting of seedlings had stalled due to the unfavourable rainfall pattern this year.

Mr Ekow Idun said under the HIPC Plantation Project to be embarked upon next year, all the 15 districts would be taken on and urged communities and individuals to get involved either by nursing seedlings or growing their own trees.

He said the tree species being cultivated included teak, cederella, oframo, imire and ceiba (onyina).

Mr Ekow Idun urged farmers involved in the project to ensure regular maintenance of the trees till they mature to enable the project achieve its objective.