We need to plant more fruit trees

THE annual National Tree Planting Day is around the corner. It is time for households and institutions such as schools, to consider a variety of fruit trees to plant.

In the wake of the introduction of the national schools’ feeding programme, the pronounced drought and climate change experienced this year across the country, the national tree planting programme has key aspects of contributing to household food security, while for schools, the exercise should help create orchards from which institutions can provide for their charges.

Secondly, planting fruit trees will serve as carbon sinks. A carbon sink is anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases, thus helping absorb the harmful emissions that damage the protective ozone layer – as well as combat growing cases of environmental degradation.

This year every one has borne the brunt of excessive temperatures, bringing into sharp focus the negative impacts of deforestation, and exacerbating uncontrolled veld fires that have regrettably cost lives in at least three reported cases so far.

The National Tree Planting Day is held every first day of December each year and has been running since 1980. The target this year is to reach an ambitious one million trees.

That is not a daunting target if one considers that each household is being encouraged to plant at least 10 fruit trees. That is a mere 100 000 household, so the target is easily achievable, if everyone plays their part, especially as the saplings are free from the Forestry Commission sites throughout the country.

Groups of households at village level can organise transport to collect the saplings from the Forestry Commission sites in the provinces nearest to them.

Zimbabwe is largely fortunate in that at every house, whether in urban or rural areas there are at least several fruit trees. The aim this year, therefore, could be to have a mix that ensures that at any given time throughout the year there will be several fruits in season, thus contributing to a balanced nutritious intake.

The Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe leads the campaign and has programmes that support tree planting.

National Tree Planting Day is celebrated annually to encourage Zimbabweans to plant and conserve trees. The day educates the public on the importance of forests, increases awareness on biodiversity, improves household food security, and mitigates the effects of climate change.

In due course, a greater population of fruit trees could provide excess that could open up opportunities for fruit canning enterprises. The marula project in Mwenezi, the banana project in Honde Valley, the baobab project in Mutoko, and soon the masawu project in Mount Darwin and Muzarabani districts are examples of what can happen to excess availability of fruits, in the process creating jobs and boosting local economies. – New Ziana