The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, in partnership with the Forest Plantation Fund Board, has organized a two-day sensitization workshop for Asanteman Queen Mothers on the development of bamboo and rattan plantations.
It was also to encourage them to actively participate in the Green Ghana Day with 1000 hectares of these plantations.
The workshop forms part of efforts to restore Ghana’s degraded landscapes and contribute to global efforts towards the fight against global warming.
Speaking at the workshop on Thursday in Kumasi, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, the Deputy Minister for the sector emphasized the significance of the workshop to the government saying, “The government has recognized the potential of bamboo and rattan resources in improving the livelihoods of hundreds of people who live near forest ecosystems, combating climate change and addressing the challenges of deforestation and an increase in the availability of sustainable rattan resources.”
He said the workshop would among other things, provide the Queen Mothers with good knowledge and insight into the extent to which bamboo and rattan resources in Ghana can sustain community livelihoods and create jobs, particularly for women and youth.
He also believed that the workshop’s outcome was critical because it would increase the number of stakeholders involved in the government’s efforts to meet the planting targets in the country’s Forest Plantation Strategy, which aims to establish over 500,000 hectares of new bamboo plantations between 2015 and 2040.
The Deputy Minister assured the Queen Mothers that the maiden sensitization programme was only a test and that the Ministry would mobilize additional resources to ensure that the programme reaches other regions, maximizing the benefits of the bamboo industry.
He urged the Forestry Commission, the Director of the International Association of Bamboo and Rattan Development (INBAR) and the Plantation Fund Board to continue to provide the support required to ensure the success of the programme.
The Queen Mother of Mampong Traditional Area, Nana Agyakuma Dufie II, stated that the bamboo project was for all Queen mothers and women in traditional authorities across the country, and urged them to take it up and make it a reality.
She also called on Queen Mothers to view the planting of trees as a responsibility to their children and future generations, as it would help reduce global warming and contribute to the government’s reforestation agenda.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei
