“Though the Ashanti Region was given a target of planting 1 million trees in 2021, the Region exceed this target by 50 percent, thus, planting 1.5 million trees”. This was disclosed by the Ashanti Regional Minister while addressing the media during this year’s commemoration of Green Ghana Day
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah and Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II were on Friday June 11, 2022, joined by other dignitaries to plant trees to mark this year’s Green Ghana project in the Ashanti Region.
The exercise which is being spearheaded by the Forestry Commission is expected to lead to the planting of over 20 million trees, both commercial and economic nationwide to reduce the impact of climate change.
Before the symbolic tree planting exercise in Kumasi, The Ashanti Regional Minister and Asantehene, in the company of other dignitaries inspected similar trees planted in previous years. Among the trees inspected were one planted by the late Asantehemaa, mother of Asantehene before her demise and a Mahogany tree the Asantehene and his daughter, Ohemaa Afia Kobi Ampem planted in 2021.
Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah noted that though the Ashanti Region has been given a much higher target of planting 4 million trees in 2022 due to its capacity exhibited in the previous year, he was optimistic that the target would be exceeded. He intimated that though the national objective is to replenish the degraded forest, the Ashanti Region and particularly Kumasi has an added objective of restoring Kumasi to become the garden city of West Africa. He called for support from the media to help monitor the trees planted in order to achieve a sustainable project.
The Ashanti Regional Manager for Forestry Commission, Mr. Augustine Gyedu, indicated that 80 percent of the 1.5 million trees planted in 2021 survived. According to him, 3.2 million trees out of the 4 million trees target for Ashanti Region have already been distributed.