By Linda Likomwa

Phalombe, May 22, Mana: Phalombe District Council has surpassed 2023/24 tree planting target with 566, 931 tree seedlings and attributed the achievement to various partners and programmes in the district for mobilizing communities to participate in the forestry season.

Speaking in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Wednesday, District Forestry Officer, Yasin Mtesha said the district planned to plant 2 million trees, but planted 2, 566,931 trees and acknowledge the role played by non-governmental organizations and other development partners working in the district for mobilizing communities to plant trees within the national forestry season from December 15 to April 15.

He said the council planted trees through Climate Smart-Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP), Food for Assets (FFA), One Acre Fund, Wee Forest, Inter Aide, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church Council, among others.

“We are now looking at the survival rate of trees as we are yet to compile a report on the same. We are hoping that a good number has survived although we were faced with dry spell,” he said.

Mtesha advised the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to work with Village Natural Resources Management Committees for easy monitoring of trees at community level.

One of community members, Maliet James from Tradition Authority Mkhumba commended CS-EPWP initiatives for contributing positively to tree planting saying that most trees survived due to a spirit of ownership instilled in the communities.

2023/24 national Forestry season was launched by President Lazarus Chakwera in Phalombe at Mpasa Hill on January 18, 2024.