The increasing number of farmers venturing into commercial tree farming in Meru County has been attributed to the low cost of production.
Speaking during a meeting at Nkunga in Imenti North sub-county, area tree farmers chairman Gilbert Gikunda said tree farming was better than other farming activities, some of which required a lot and very expensive farm inputs to realize high yields.
The farmers appealed to the national and county government to consider a program through which tree farmers can easily access disease- and invasive plant species-resistant indigenous and exotic tree varieties.
They decried the rate at which their trees were being destroyed by uncontrollable diseases and invasive plant species, adding that their overall yields had taken a downward trend in the last few months.
Responding to the farmers concerns, Meru County Forest Conservator Wellington Ndaka confirmed that invasive plant species and some diseases had been identified as the major impediments against the growth of young trees in government, individual and community forest areas in most counties.
Ndaka said a surveillance team had already visited all forest areas, including individual forest farms, and was working on the final report on the situation, which would be in handy for appropriate government intervention in saving the overall forest cover in the county.
He assured the farmers that the national and county government conservation players remained committed to mobilizing resources towards controlling diseases and emerging invasive plant species, among other challenges threatening to bring down commercial tree farming the overall forest cover in the county.
The conservator said the government had already embarked on reclaiming forest areas invaded by invasive plant species and diseases in all 47 counties, following a routine inspection exercise of government forests in the country.
Ndaka said commercial tree farming had thrived in Meru County for the last few years, adding that some farmers with large chunks of land had opted to abandon all other farming activities due to the low cost of production and the financial certainty they were enjoying from the venture.
He commended farmers for embracing commercial tree farming along with establishing individual and community tree nurseries, saying the number of people earning income to sustain family basic needs from tree farming-related activities in the region was on an upward trend.
“The overall Meru County forest cover has remained far above the national percentage due to the enthusiasm with which residents have embraced the culture of both indigenous and exotic tree species in their farms and homes, which has greatly complimented government efforts of protect and conserve the environment to improve rain patterns,” Ndaka said.
By Makaa Margaret
