The province of Naitasiri has today started with the 2020 Tree Planting Programme and is expected to plant over 200,000 trees this year.

While officiating at the event held in Nawaisomo Village Minister of Forestry Osea Naiqamu highlighted that the central division is expected to plant over 500,000 trees this year which means they are expected to plant at least 10,677 trees in one week or 2,135 trees in one day.

Naiqamu says the Ministry of forestry have re-allocated 60 percent of all their resources – including staff, finances and assets to planting millions of trees and to growing the economy.

He says this re-allocation is to monitor those who are illegally cutting down trees and the planting of more trees for the future generation.

He adds 20 beat office of the ministry is allocated around the country and 60 percent of their workers will be allocated to each centers.

Naiqamu says Fiji has planted 1 million trees at the end of October 2019 after the 4 Million trees in 4 years programme was launched.

Naiqamu says the renewed massive tree-planting programme signifies the Fijian Government’s commitment to elevate the importance of trees and forests as it is critical to nation building, whilst reviving our kinship with nature and its relevance to our very own existence on this Planet.

He says Fiji’s tree-planting initiative is also part of the global reforestation movement to increase the Planet’s ability to absorb carbon, and ultimately address climate change.

Naiqamu has urged the villagers of Nawaisomo to take part in Governments initiative to plant trees as this can also be a source of income to them and also contribute to the ministry of forestry's initiative to plant more trees.