Buganda tops in tree planting
Oct 18, 2004
BUGANDA is leading the tree planting drive mooted by private investors in a bid to supply the increasing demand for poles and charcoal in Kampala city
By Gerald Tenywa
BUGANDA is leading the tree planting drive mooted by private investors in a bid to supply the increasing demand for poles and charcoal in Kampala city.
Edward Mupada, the manager of National Forestry Authority(NFA)’s tree seed centre said recently that most of the seeds and tree seedlings sell like a hot cake within the districts of Buganda compared to other districts.
He said exotic tree species were on high demand because they take a shorter period to mature.(only four years in for eucalyptus)
Mupada, however, said they were also promoting native tree species including Mvule (Milicia excelsa) that was recently categorised as an endangered species by the red data list of the World Conservation Union.
“The demand for wood has exceeded the supply,’’ Mupada said. He also said tree planting would have begun massively about a decade and half ago.
He said the forests within about 100 kilometres from Kampala were degraded in the last decade because of the high demand for timber and charcoal.
Mupada said they had stepped up production of tree seedlings from 30,000 to 250,000 since the NFA took over the Centre from the Forest Department about five months ago. He said their intention was to increase production to half a million seedlings next planting season.
NFA, which is one of the three bodies that have replaced the Forestry Department, has a new focus of looking at forestry as a source of income.
Mupada said the Centre, which was set up about a decade back with funding from NORAD and the European Commission is a sound source of seed and tree seedlings.
He said most private investors in trees were planting trees near Kampala because of the cheap transport costs and a ready market.
He said some of the tree seeds such as pine and grivelia, which are not available on the local market, have to be imported from as far as Kenya and South America.
Other tree species that are collected locally include musizi (maesopsis eminii), terminalia, mahogany species, araucaria and fruit trees such as mangoes.
Mupada also said they were working with the Forestry Inspection Division to provide skills to the roadside tree nurseries in order to increase their capacity to produce sound planting materials.
BUGANDA is leading the tree planting drive mooted by private investors in a bid to supply the increasing demand for poles and charcoal in Kampala city.
Edward Mupada, the manager of National Forestry Authority(NFA)’s tree seed centre said recently that most of the seeds and tree seedlings sell like a hot cake within the districts of Buganda compared to other districts.
He said exotic tree species were on high demand because they take a shorter period to mature.(only four years in for eucalyptus)
Mupada, however, said they were also promoting native tree species including Mvule (Milicia excelsa) that was recently categorised as an endangered species by the red data list of the World Conservation Union.
“The demand for wood has exceeded the supply,’’ Mupada said. He also said tree planting would have begun massively about a decade and half ago.
He said the forests within about 100 kilometres from Kampala were degraded in the last decade because of the high demand for timber and charcoal.
Mupada said they had stepped up production of tree seedlings from 30,000 to 250,000 since the NFA took over the Centre from the Forest Department about five months ago. He said their intention was to increase production to half a million seedlings next planting season.
NFA, which is one of the three bodies that have replaced the Forestry Department, has a new focus of looking at forestry as a source of income.
Mupada said the Centre, which was set up about a decade back with funding from NORAD and the European Commission is a sound source of seed and tree seedlings.
He said most private investors in trees were planting trees near Kampala because of the cheap transport costs and a ready market.
He said some of the tree seeds such as pine and grivelia, which are not available on the local market, have to be imported from as far as Kenya and South America.
Other tree species that are collected locally include musizi (maesopsis eminii), terminalia, mahogany species, araucaria and fruit trees such as mangoes.
Mupada also said they were working with the Forestry Inspection Division to provide skills to the roadside tree nurseries in order to increase their capacity to produce sound planting materials.