The government has started an aggressive reforestation campaign in all the country's natural forests areas, President Mwai Kibaki has said.

The President said the government is also in the process of developing an appropriate legislation to ensure that 10 percent of agricultural land is put under agro- forestry.

"These interventions require a lot of seedlings as well as sufficient resources to enforce the legislation", said the President.

The Head of State said these in a speech read on his behalf by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka during the official opening of the Second World Congress of Agro-forestry at United Nations Environmental Programe(UNEP) at Gigiri, Nairobi.

President Kibaki said there was need for the government to partner with Non- Governmental organizations and other stakeholders to develop the appropriate systems so as to meet the demand on seedlings.

The five day congress whose theme is "Agro-Forestry-The Future of Global Land Use" brings together participants from all over the World.

The President also urged those in the Agro-forestry sector to sustain the partnership and collaboration with the government in addressing the challenges of climate change, food scarcity and poverty.

"I encourage the World Agro-Forestry Centre to continue providing leadership in this critical area and also sustain the good work that it is already doing, I assure the Board of Trustees and the management of this centre of continued support from the government", he said

'Tree products'

The President noted that the demand for tree products in the country is rapidly growing and that farmers were responding positively to this demand by growing both indigenous and improved species of timber trees on their farms which he said was an important smallholder commercial undertaking.

President Kibaki said it is estimated that globally, there are more than one billion rural smallholder farmers growing trees for fruits and other products on their farms while forests were on the decline.

He however commended the World Agro-Forestry Center in its efforts to improve the rural livelihoods through research and application of tree-based innovations on farmers' fields.

"It is imperative that we work together to develop both national and regional markets for various types of tree products so as to create more income opportunities for the rural population", he said.

The President said since the establishment of the Center in Kenya 35years ago, the relevance to solve agro-forestry problems related to land degradation and increasing soil erosion, decreased fertility, medicinal needs, surface and ground water pollution and decreased biodiversity has continued to gain popularity.

President Kibaki cited poverty and food insecurity as the most serious challenges facing Africa including climate change which has been demonstrated by frequent floods and droughts.

He said the country is already experiencing the effects of climate change and this could be demonstrated by the inadequate rainfall in the last three years resulting to famine.

"Millions of our people now depend on relief food as livestock face starvation, we have devised both medium and long-term measures in which emphasis is being placed on irrigated food production and increased fertilizer application", he said

The President described fertility management and agro forestry as one of the low cost mechanisms of supplying organic fertilizer to crops which in turn boosts productivity.

In his remarks Musyoka urged Kenyans to adapt aggressive tree planting and conservation culture.

He said every Kenyan should take it upon themselves to plant trees and take personal responsibility for their growth and sustenance



VPPS
Mon, Aug 24, 2009