By Bisola Adeyemo
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland West Province, Monica Mavhunga, has encouraged Zimbabweans to embrace tree planting for security against windstorms and floods.
She said this at the Eaglescliff Farm in Ward 8, Bindura South Constituency, during the launch of a fruit tree production programme.
While reading a speech on behalf of the minister, Bindura South legislator, Remigio Matangira, said each house at least should plant one tree particularly a tree with fruits to enhance food production, the Herald said.
Part of the speech reads “This is a gesture that indicates the utilisation of the knowledge you have now acquired in fighting the effects of climate change. This is beautiful,” she said.
“I commend this community and its leadership for kick-starting this program. There are a lot of benefits from fruit tree production especially when they venture into value addition. This initiative will turn this community into an economic zone.”
Minister Mavhunga said the planet was losing its forest cover, with 80 000 square kilometres of naturally grown forests destroyed every year, hence the need to replace trees through replanting.
“The world has been turned into a ball of fire with deforestation being among the high causes of global warming.
“Zimbabwe loses about 330 000 hectares of forest annually. Forests and woodlands now cover only 45 percent hectares of the country, down from 53 percent in 2014,” she said.
