More than 72% of Green Ghana seedlings survived – Deputy Lands Minister
Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, a Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, responsible for Lands and Forestry, has said 72 per cent of seedlings planted during the 2022 Green Ghana Tree Planting exercise survived.
The statistics on the survival rate of the seedlings were in a report submitted to the Lands Ministry by the Forestry Commission.
The report detailed the verification assessment of the tree seedlings planted during the year under review.
Mr Owusu-Bio announced this during a working visit to some parts of the Greater Accra Region on Tuesday, March 28, to monitor seedlings planted by associations, institutions, the Ministry, and the Forestry Commission during the Green Ghana Project.
He also assured Ghanaians and taxes payers that all monies invested into procuring Green Ghana Seedlings have been judiciously utilised as most of the seedlings planted during the 2021- 2022 Green Ghana Day planting exercises survived.
“Earlier, we disclosed a survival rate of 80 per cent however due to weather conditions and other factors seedlings planted in 2021 had 67 per cent survival rate while the 2022 edition witnessed 72 per cent survival, saying; “That’s good progress because no matter what, we will not be able to achieve 100 per cent survival”.
The Deputy Minister dismissed misinformation circulating in the media space about government’s unpaid debt of 2.3 billion to the Green Ghana seedling providers after the exercise.
Mr Owusu-Bio explained that there was no debt of GH¢2.5 billion and that the funds allocated by the government for the Green Ghana exercise was judiciously utilised even though it was not sufficient.
He said, “we owe our seedlings providers GH¢28 million, which would soon be settled.”
He gave the assurance to the seedlings providers that the Lands Ministry had had discussions with the Finance Ministry, therefore, plans were positive for them to be paid in earnest.
Mr Owusu-Bio was impressed with the level of growth of the seedlings and applauded the Forestry Commission for ensuring that Foresters nurtured the Green Ghana seedlings to maturity.
The Deputy Minister also urged all Ghanaians who planted some of the seedlings in their homes and farms to ensure they make it an effort in nurturing the seedlings to maturity, while also calling on all and sundry to join and plant the 10,000 seedlings scheduled to be planted this year to help mitigate climate change.
Mr Owusu-Bio stated that the monitoring was part of a build-up towards the 2023 Green Ghana Day slated for June 9.
The monitoring team first visited the Seismic Centre at the Ghana Geological Survey, then to three planting sites at the University of Ghana campus, through to the Achimota Forest.
They also visited the Achimota Senior High School and the JJ Rawlings Foundation guardianship inside the Achimota School.
Source: GNA