Yambio — The Western Equatoria state ministry of Agriculture yesterday has decided to plant over 2 million seedlings of various species of trees in the state as a landmark for the South Sudan independence celebrations.
The state Minister of Agriculture Charles Yore Wednesday 29 June said the “initiative projected until July 2012 will plant over 2 million different species of trees.”
South Sudan will be declared independent state on 9 July as the whole South is preparing to celebrate the event in a memorable way.
According to the state agriculture minister “on independence day July 9, 2011 each citizen of the state must plant at least three seedlings, trees that will bring income like for fruits and timbers,” decried Yore.
The ministry decided together with some of local churches particularly the Diocese of Tambura Yambio, to plant two million seedlings to be ready by the first anniversary of the South Sudan independence next year.
The state minister pointed out that the directorate of forestry given the meagre resources cannot avail the seedlings now, but there over 1 million different seedlings ready for the exercise.
Yore emphasized that they are encouraging the citizens of the state to plant more fruit trees.
“We are encouraging people to plant these fruit trees, we know that mangoes are important, oranges are important out of them we get food and income, as we are aware that after independence investors are planning to come to the state in invest in fruit processing factories, and so the fruits we have in the state are getting very old and the quality of the fruits have deteriorated,” said the minister.
He noted that the program will help the ministry to begging planting trees like mahogany, teak, cassia, gravelor, caprices and pine that will give timber and make the state regain the forest that has been destroyed due to civil war.
The minister said the executive officials will plant over five hundred seedling of palm oil trees in Yambio County on July 9th.
Yore said, the ministry chose palm tree to be planted in Yambio County because they are tolerant and they give beauty.
“We chose palm oil trees because the seedlings are tolerant and readily available you can just pick them anywhere and plant, it gives beauty specially along the roads they have will be planted. Palm trees have got a lot of value, once they grow they can provide fruits and oil” disclosed Yore.
Minister Yore stated the ministry is planning that Western Equatoria to be food sufficient state as people enters into the independent country.
He added that plans are under way to increase house hold food security in the state mores especially with the new initiated program by GOSS Ministry of agriculture by the year 2012.
