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Nokutenda Chiyangwa Herald Reporter
Government has encouraged people to plant more than eight trees every year in a bid to fight the effects of climate change and promote agroforestry, which will contribute greatly to Command Agriculture.

Speaking at the International Day of Forests commemorations held in Harare on Wednesday, Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri noted that incorporating agroforestry was likely to be an important tool to local agricultural farming systems.

“Zimbabwe is losing approximately 330 000 hectares of forest due to various factors, which include clearing of land for agriculture and infrastructural development, collection of fuel wood for domestic and industrial use and exploitation for construction and furniture manufacturing,” said Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri.

“My ministry, therefore, encourages everyone to plant eight trees per year for their oxygen needs and mitigating the effects of global warming and climate change. Our thrust as a ministry is to promote agroforestry, which involves the incorporation of fruit trees into agricultural farming systems.”

The agroforestry programme is envisaged to benefit communities at ward level, household level, schools, Command Agriculture farmers, women, youth groups and traditional leaders across the country’s 10 provinces.