Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture plants 3.1 million trees under presidential initiative

Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation has planted 3.1 million trees as part of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s initiative to plant 100 million trees nationwide. The initiative aims to combat climate change, desertification, and boost local wood production while offering environmental, aesthetic, and economic benefits.

Agriculture Minister Elsayed Elkosayer stated that the initiative is being implemented across 13 governorates, targeting roads, medians, desert hinterlands, government entities (schools, universities, youth centres), city and village entrances,main squares, internal islands, and industrial areas.

The first phase, now complete, saw the delivery of 1.3 million trees to seven governorates: Qalyubia, Gharbia, Beni Suef,Minya, Fayoum, Assiut, and New Valley. These comprised 17 varieties of wood and fruit trees, including camphor,Paulina, white poplar, mahogany, acacia, conocarpus, tecoma, casuarina, tivita, daphne, cypress, jujube, lemon, orange,olive, grapefruit, and pomegranate.

The second phase is currently underway, with 995,000 trees being supplied to six governorates: Cairo, Monufia, South Sinai, Port Said, New Valley, and the Red Sea. The Ministry of Health’s facilities across all governorates are also included. This phase involves 18 varieties of wood and fruit trees, such as olive, lemon, bottlebrush, acacia gluca,conocarpus, orange, grapefruit, guava, pomegranate, mango, tecoma, fig, peach, casuarina, camphor, jujube (sidr),mahogany, and Omani berries.

An additional 800,000 trees have been planted in ministry forests and surrounding areas, bringing the total to 3.1 million.The inclusion of health facilities aims to increase green spaces and improve the environment in these locations.

The ministry is coordinating with the Ministry of Local Development and governorates to select suitable planting locations to ensure the initiative’s sustainability. Elkosayer emphasized the initiative’s importance in expanding afforestation efforts, doubling per capita green spaces, improving air quality, reducing greenhouse gases, and achieving maximum economic benefits from trees.