Hneifat checks on tree planting preparations ahead of Arbor Day

AMMAN — Agriculture Minister Khalid Hneifat on Saturday inspected the areas prepared for planting on Arbor Day on the sides of the Desert Highway. 

During his inspection visit, Hneifat was briefed on all the preparations that were taken to plant trees suitable for this area and maintain its sustainability, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

He stressed the importance of accounting for the exploitation of treated and refined water, the importance of water harvesting, and to refrain from using drinking water to irrigate the trees that will be planted this year. He added that the ministry is considering a partnership with the private sector to expand afforestation with priority given to the people of the local community.

He pointed out that the ministry annually distributes more than two million forest trees free of charge to all civil and governmental authorities and citizens to commemorate this day and to plant forest trees in the regions of the Kingdom in order to achieve the Royal vision of increasing forests and planting trees that are productive and suitable for each region. 

It is expected that 100,000 forest trees will be planted along the Desert Highway from Giza to Maan.

Hneifat inspected the 1,250 dunums of the afforestation project on the sides of the Lajoun Dam, which will be completed this season.

He said that this project is expected to plant more than 30,000 trees suitable for the region’s environment.

He referred to the cultivation of the sites prepared during the last period by the workers of the National Reforestation Project, which was launched by the ministry in June 2021.

The minister noted that work is still ongoing to complete the cultivation work, pointing out that the areas that will be planted during this season are about 10,000 dunums with a number of trees ranging from half a million to a million across the Kingdom.