The country has over the past few years experienced major tree depletion, which many have blamed on the advent of the “new farmers” following the fast-track land reform programme that saw a new breed of farmers occupying farming areas previously predominantly owned by white commercial farmers.
Most of the farmers, especially the A1 type, are reportedly rampantly cutting down trees. Some have abandoned farming activities and are surviving solely on cutting down trees and selling as firewood to people who have for long been plagued with continuous power black outs!
Veldfires, which have become so common in farming areas, have also done their fair share of harm to the trees. The Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe (FCZ) blames mostly tobacco farmers for the serious depletion of trees in the country as the bulk of them have for a long time been cutting down trees to use in curing their crop before taking it to the auction floors, as most of them cannot access coal.
Unfortunately, in spite of clearing their surrounds of trees, most of which would be indigenous trees that take an average of 20 to 25 years to fully develop and are facing extinction, most farmers are doing very little to ensure sustainability.
In a desperate attempt to end the destructive behaviour, the FCZ has embarked on an aggressive campaign to educate communities on the absolute need to stop the destruction of trees.
Addressing villagers at Amston Extension, a farming area in Makoni district in Manicaland who had gathered for a tree-planting day that was meant to be graced by the Environment minister Francis Nhema, but who failed to turn up, Forestry Commission spokesperson Abednigo Marufu urged the villagers, most of whom are tobacco farmers, to stop cutting down indigenous trees.
Marufu said that starting from next year; every single tobacco farmer that uses wood to cure the crop will be required to produce proof of a woodlot from which he/she would have acquired the wood used.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Failure of which, he said, would see one failing to sale their crop. This, Murufu said, is a desperate bid by the responsible authorities to save the indigenous trees, which are fast disappearing.
It is a move Marufu said is meant to encourage farmers to resort to fast-growing eucalyptus tree types while sparing the indigenous trees that take a long time to grow.
Most of the tobacoo farmers in Makoni district admitted to cutting down indigenous trees, evidenced by the huge stacks of firewood stocked on most farms.
“Yes, we used to cut down quite a lot of indigenous trees to use to cure our tobacco but that was out of ignorance. Now we know better. I currently have 5 000 gum tree seedlings that I will soon plant on my woodlot,” said Nicolas Madembo (38), a tobacco farmer in the area.
Other farmers in the area echoed the same sentiments and many welcomed the idea of planting gum trees and thus sparing the indigenous trees.
As Marufu said to the gathering in Makoni, we owe it to the little ones and those yet unborn to take good care of the environment so they can have something worthwhile to inherit. I could not agree more!
SPONSORED WALK ON NATIONAL TREE PLANTING DAY
This year’s commemoration of National Tree Planting Day will take place in Manicaland under the theme “Forests for People”. Forestry Commission and Friends of the Environment, working hand in glove with the Environment Management Agency and the Environment ministry, have organised a sponsored walk from Harare to Mutare.
The walk, which started yesterday, will end on December 2 and will involve planting trees along the way. A representative from Friends of the Environment said they are aiming at planting a total of 7 000 trees along the way to Mutare, mostly in schools while 2 000 are expected to be planted in Manicaland on the National Tree Planting Day.
The event will be graced by President Robert Mugabe and Minister Nhema, among others. The Munyii has been selected the tree of the year.
The tree-planting campaign will hopefully make more people aware of the extent to which we need the trees and how life would be unbearable without them.
By Chipo Masara
