Ugandans advised to plant more indigenous tree

By Vivian Agaba

In a bid to prevent the extinction of indigenous trees, Ugandans have been encouraged to plant more indigenous trees in order to ensure their continuous existence. 

Michael Mugisa, executive director National Forestry Authority (NFA) noted that today, most Ugandans are turning to growing exotic trees due to their commercial benefits, abandoning ingenious trees, something that could lead to their extinction if not checked. “Much as we need to plant exotic trees for commercial purposes, we need to continue growing our indigenous trees for their medicinal, water shed and ecosystem purposes and ensure they do not vanish.

Indigenous trees are as important as exotic trees, grow them on a large scale to keep them in existence,” said Mugisa.
This was during the send-off ceremony of 30 foresters to different NFA’s nurseries thorough out the country that took place at NFA’s headquarters in Bugolobi, a Kampala suburb. 

Dennis Mutaryebwa, plantation development specialist working with NFA stressed that with high levels of deforestation resulting from cutting down trees for timber, agricultural activities and bush burning, indigenous trees are likely to extinct if Ugandans do not develop the spirit of planting more trees to replace the cut ones.

“We encourage local communities to continue growing indigenous tree species in their ranches, gardens, conservation of tree species in a plantation form to promote biodiversity,” said  Mutaryebwa adding that local communities need to be sensitized on the dangers of deforestation, a vice that has led to bad effects of climate change so that can grow more trees.

According to Mukisa, Uganda loses 90,000 hectares of forest cover annually as a result of activities like cultivation, cutting down trees for timber and bush burning.