The International Day of Forests was celebrated for the first in Papua New Guinea with the planting of Teak Trees at the Agro-forestry Project site at Rigo village, in Central province yesterday.
This site is part of a three year Pilot Project and the land was given to PNGFA for Forestation and Agro-Forestry activities.
The project is in line with the organizations Reforestation program and receives support from the Small Business development Corporation.
Reforestation is not new to Papua New Guinea The day March 21 was nominated in 20011 by the United Nations Assembly to observe the International Day of Forest.
Here at Gomore village, some seventy minutes’ drive out of Port Moresby, is this secured land for agro-forestry activities.
The site is part of a three year project. It is funded by the International Tropical Timber Organization or ITTO, an organization consisting of tropical rainforest countries that are closer to the equator.
This land will see agro –forestry activities like planting of bananas and sweet potatoes in between the teak trees.
The day observes the importance of all types of forest.
On this important day, all United Nation member countries are encouraged through the UN Assembly to undertake local, national or international efforts to protect their forest and trees.
Over a thousand teak seedlings were planted yesterday to not only mark the day, but a new beginning for the Gomore community.
The people will work in partnership with the three organizations to manage the project and it will generate income for the people once the trees are ready to harvest.
This project is also aimed to encourage the landowners to transform the Savana grassland of Rigo into an area of High Value Trees in the next decade.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ih6GR9WC5g0%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
