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Kagera to plant 12 million trees to conserve environment

Tree planting

KAGERA Region targets to plant 12 million trees during in 2022/2023 financial year in efforts to conserve environment.

Assistant Secretary for Economic Development at the regional secretariat, Mr Isaya Tendega explained that each council has been tasked to plant at least 1.5 million trees in order to reach the target.

“With less than two months remaining before the end of this financial year on June 30 we have already planted 8.5 million trees, an equivalent to    76.8 per cent. We are optimistic that the target of planting 12 million trees will be attained,” he said.

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He appealed to farmers to ensure that they plant avocado, coffee and mihumula species which are rich in oxygen emission to enable the farmers to generate income through carbon trading, he said.

Carbon trading means buying and selling of verified or certified of carbon emission, reductions and removals in accordance with the recognized international carbon standard.

Carbon farming is a new way of farming to sequestrate carbon in the soil. With carbon farming, farmers use the power of the soil to sequestrate carbon emissions from industry, infrastructure and households nearby.

This yields a better climate, more fertile and resistant farmland, and also creates opportunities for several partners within and outside the agri-food chain. To-date at least 42,000 farmers have   been registered while the target was to reach 100,000 farmers this year.

A non-governmental organization (NGO)- KADERES   Peasants  Development Public Limited Co (KDP Plc),  has made timely intervention by   introduction  carbon farming, a  financial incentive for combating  effects of climate change in their plantations.

Richard Banyamulana (80), a resident of Kamagambo village, in Karagwe district is among the   beneficiaries who have been registered by the society.

He was recently paid a total of 1.6m/- which enabled him to add another dairy cow thus increasing availability of milk and manure on his plantation.

Using the money he has managed to refurbish his house while also paying school fees for his three children attending school. The manure has greatly improved production of various   crops on his plantation where he also owns several bee hives

Kagera Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Albert Chalamila launched the project recently at a function held in Karagwe district’s Kamagambo village.   Despite being endowed with arable land and conducive climate for supporting production of numerous crops, farmers in Kagera and others   in the country have been failing to realize bumper harvest due to severe effects of climate change.

These effects include prolonged drought spells, soil erosion, and soil infertility together with washing away of soil humidity.

He appealed to farmers in Kagera and others across the country to direct more efforts efforts in environmental conservation while also commending KADERES   Peasants Development Public Limited Co (KDP Plc) for making the dream come true.

Mr Chalamila directed District Commissioners and District Executive Directors in the eight Councils- Muleba, Bukoba DC, Biharamulo, Ngara, Karagwe, Kyerwa, Missenyi and Bukoba MC  to ensure that each household plants at least five avocado trees in their respective  areas.

KADERES Managing Director (MD), Mr Leonard Kachebonaho explained that KADERES was implementing a special project to impart the farmers with useful agro-ecological practices necessary for combating effects of climate change.

Among others, the robust project being implemented in collaboration with RaboBank of Netherlands has successfully managed to train the beneficiary farmers on proper land management, biological practices for the restoration of land fertility as well as soil moisture maintenance.

Under a 20-year agreement reached between KADERES and RaboBank of Netherlands the plan was to register over 1.5 million farmers across the country.  The farmers were being trained on various strategies to combat climate change and agribusiness.