More than 825 million trees have been planted across the country towards attainment of the government’s target of planting 15 billion trees.
The Coordinator of the 15 Billion Tree Planting Secretariat, Ms Susan Boit has said the trees have been planted through government initiatives and bringing on board various stakeholders.
On Monday speaking during a tree planting occasion to mark International Tea Day at Gatunguru Tea factory in Mathioya Sub County, Boit noted that the government initiated the tree planting programme back in 2022 in a bid to boost the forest cover and combat the effects of climate change.
“Annually we have a 1.5 billion target which can be realized through the partnership to make Kenya green. The counties have a 350 million trees target per year, with the majority doing agroforestry,” She said during the occasion that was organized by Fairtrade Africa organization.
Boit said that they are focusing on planting more trees in tea growing zones saying factories rely on firewood in processing of green leaf.
“The tea sector heavily relies on firewood in processing of green leaf at the factories which see many trees cut down. In return the processors are now required to plant more trees than they consume.
“We had negotiations with the players in the tea industry and have agreed that they come up with a strategy which strikes a balance between what they consume and what is left in the forest,” remarked the coordinator.
Boit noted that almost every sector has been affected by climate change thus the need to engage various players in attaining the target of 15 billion trees.
“In the climate action plan, we intend to incorporate the agroforestry aspect to ensure farmers grow more trees on their farms as we advocate for planting of many fruit trees which will come in handy as they have multiple benefits,” she added.
The coordinator revealed that the Government is seeking to leverage commercial forestry to help boost economic growth and environmental conservation.
“Commercial forestry is just one area of intervention that can be used to promote the economy of the country and we want to stimulate that sector to generate income and improve livelihoods,” said Boit.
She continued: “apart from timber, there are other products from trees such as gum and resin which can be extracted to enhance livelihoods.”
Fairtrade Africa Head of Region Mr Agapeters Kubasu said they are focusing on environment conservation to attain food security and financial empowerment.
He said through aggressive tree planting, incidents of landslides that lead to loss of lives and livelihoods like those witnessed in some areas under Makomboki and Gacharage tea factories in Murang’a years ago will not be repeated.
Kubasu said a survey recently conducted by the organization, indicated that one of the most pressing issues to the farmers was climate change as the phenomenon has significantly affected tea production.
“We have had instances where chunks of tea bushes have been destroyed by landslides due to the heavy rains robbing the farmers of their livelihoods,” he remarked.
He observed that tree planting in the tea-growing zones is largely aimed at conserving the soil and replenishing it for better production.
“When you look cumulatively, you will see that climate change is indeed a problem that is affecting the tea sector in the country and thus the need to take all the necessary measures to mitigate its effects,” added Kubasu.
He emphasized planting fruit trees saying they have a transformative effect as the farmers will contribute towards a better environment and earn a living from the sale of fruits.
By Bernard Munyao
