The Winneba District Office of the Forestry Services Commission (FSC) will this year cultivate more than 200 hectares of various species of trees under the Presidential Special Initiative (PSI) on Forest reclamation programme.

The programme forms part of the reformed "Tonja System" of the

forestation programme under which selected farmers were allowed to inter-crop foodstuffs with the trees.

Mr Ebenezer Sassah, Acting District Manager of the Winneba District office of the Commission who told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview on Sunday, said the project would give employment to about 600 farmers living within the catchment areas of Yenku and Senya-Beraku forest zones in the Gomoa and Awutu-Effutu-Senya districts.

He said last year, the Commission cultivated about 220 hectares of depleted forest reserves in the two forest zones, which provided jobs to some 700 farmers.

Mr Sassah announced that his office has targeted over 100,000 seedlings of some selected species including acacia and mahogany for planting this year.

He asked communities and individuals wishing to go into the production of seedlings to embark on nursery projects to augment the effort of the government to replenish the country's forest reserve.

He assured prospective private producers of seedlings of effective technical advice at all times.

Mr James Enchill, District Sales Officer, praised the people in Gomoa-Mprumaim and other communities in the two districts who have already established nurseries for seed production, for their efforts to improve the country's ecology.