10 000ha put under eucalyptus trees

Fast-growing eucalyptus trees are being planted nationwide by schools, timber companies, as well as tobacco companies such as Sustainable Afforestation Association

CLOSE to 10 000 hectares have been put under fast-growing eucalyptus trees throughout tobacco-growing regions for use by farmers to cure their tobacco to minimise cutting down of other trees.

This was revealed at the 25th Annual General Meeting of the Timber Producers Federation held in Mutare recently.

In a speech read on her behalf by the director, environment and natural resources management Mr Edward Samuriwo, Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira said: “Zimbabwe is losing an estimated 33 000ha per annum due to deforestation, the leading cause being agricultural expansion and tobacco curing.

“The ministry is happy that there is an increased effort to expand sustainable sources of wood energy through afforestation activities, with an area close to 10 000ha of fast-growing eucalyptus trees having been planted to date in the tobacco-growing regions.”

In an interview later, Mr Samuriwo said the trees were being planted nationwide by schools, timber companies, as well as tobacco companies such as Sustainable Afforestation Association (SAA).

Mr Wilcort Dzuda, who was standing in for Allied Timbers Zimbabwe chief operating officer, said pine sawn timber production had increased, while eucalyptus sawn timber had decreased.

“Pine sawn timber production improved by 34 percent in 2018 to over 174 000 square metres compared to 2017, while eucalyptus sawn timber decreased by the same percentage to slightly over 9 000  square metres,” he said.

Mr Dzuda said the emergence of veld fires led to the loss of timber in Zimbabwe for the last two years and timber companies were doing everything to protect the forests.

“The area lost to fire increased from 220ha in 2017 to 1 558ha in 2018,” he said.

“The main source of fire remains areas occupied by illegal settlers. This has forced timber companies to beef up security and procure additional fire-fighting equipment.”

In a speech read on her behalf by deputy director in her office Mr Terrence Machocho, Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba said Government was still making efforts to evict people that settled illegally in timber estates.

“The challenge of illegal settlers has been haunting the industry for the past two decades,” she said.

“Government has resolved that all illegal settlers occupying farms and plantations should be removed.”