Nation plants over 4bn seedlings

Some 4.2 billion seedlings were planted during the 2006 E.C
rainy season, said Ethiopian Ministry for Environment and
Forestry.
Forestry Sector State Minister, Kebede Yimam, said that the
plantation was carried out across the country in
collaboration with regional states.
More than 11 million people have participated in the
program which was carried out in depleted areas and taking
into account ecological issues, he said.
According to him, some 14.5 million hectares of land were
covered with seedlings from 2003-2005 Ethiopian fiscal
year.
The plan was to cover 11.5 million hectares.
The State Minister further indicated that an integrated
national forest census was launched last February so as to
know the current forest cover in Ethiopia.
Some 30 percent of the inventory process has so far been
completed. The census will be finalized by the coming June,
he added.
The country has been planting trees in millions since the
Ethiopian millennium to increase the forest coverage, it was
learnt.