Mr Abu Gbentie, a 56-year-old engaged in tree planting at the Sissala West District in the Upper West Region, has appealed to the government and benevolent organisations for support to sustain his “tree farming” activities and promote the Green Ghana Agenda.
He said he needed wire mesh to protect the seedlings to ensure their survival, water supply for irrigation purposes and motorcycle to aid his activities.
Mr Gbentie, who had embraced the tree planting project, made the appeal at the weekend when the Ghana News Agency visited his farm to assess the survival rate of seedlings supplied him in 2021 for planting.
He commended government for the initiative, saying: “Out of 1,001 Acacia seedlings supplied to me last year, I planted all and protected them and the survival rate was 99 per cent.”
The Forestry Division has adjudged him as the best individual accepting the Green Ghana Day initiative at the district, and he hopes to plant 2,000 cashew seedlings this year.
Mr Evans Asihene, the Operations Officer of the Forestry Division, told the GNA that about 300,000 distinct species of seedlings had been mobilised to be distributed in the Sissala East and West districts.
He said 166, 800 seedlings comprising cashew, mahogany, teak, and Acacia would be planted in forest reserves whilst 57,000 would go to farmers, schools, and churches among other organisations.
Mr Asihene encouraged the community members to take care of the seedlings to ensure they survived and avoid activities that resulted in bush fires.
Mr Fuseini Yakubu, the Sissalla East Municipal Chief Executive, appealed to heads of department, religious leaders, chiefs, elders and residents in the Municipality to plant and nurture the trees to protect the environment.
He urged the education and health authorities to plant the seedlings around their institutions to control encroachment.
