Fijians have planted 2.6million trees and mangroves covering over 2000 hectares of land across Fiji in the past 22 months.
This was highlighted by the Minister for Forests Hon. Osea Naiqamu while officiating at the opening of the Lololo Nursery in Lautoka today.
Minister Naiqamu stated that this was achieved through the Ministry's 30 Million Trees in 15years initiative as the Ministry tries to ensure that the future generation will continue to have a sustainable future.
"With Fiji now viewed around the world as a respected advocate on global issues such as climate change, I commend every Fijian and most importantly our forestry stakeholders present here today for the combined efforts in Government's tree planting initiative - without your help and support our fight against climate change will be in vain."
Minister Naiqamu highlighted that the opening of the new Lololo nursery will ensure the continuous support of the initiative as it is one of the three nurseries that supply seedlings for project catchment areas in the Western division.
"The nursery will also ensure the Ministry of Forestry continues to support tree planting in the catchment areas after the Ridge to Reef project phases out in October next year.
The $40, 000 nursery holds a capacity of 50, 000 seedlings for native, fruit and plantation tree species and will add to the 35, 000 nursery seedlings already stocked in the Ministry of Forestry office in Lautoka.
The new nursery is funded by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).