So far, more than 36,000 trees have been planted in the Settlement Afforestation Program, and another 8,000 saplings will be planted in the public areas of villages and small towns in the fall, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture announced on Saturday in Kistelek, according to the MTI report.
Sándor Farkas said at the farmer’s market of the settlement in Csongrád-Csanád County, where 25 tall ash trees and early maples were planted, that the Ministry of Agriculture announced the Country Afforestation Program in 2019, and the Settlement Afforestation Program started the following year.
1,350 settlements applied to plant 10–30 trees per location. So far, approximately 36,500 trees have been planted in settlements with less than 10,000 inhabitants participating in the initiative. KEFAG Kiskunsági Erdzesti és Faipari Zrt. will provide the tree seedlings for the program, the politician informed.
The program started in September, in the third phase, 8,000 saplings will be planted in 345 settlements, and the initiative will continue next spring, the state secretary announced.
The Ministry of Agriculture wants to contribute to improving the image of public areas by planting quality tree species. The fact that the planted trees improve the microclimate of their environment cannot be neglected either, stressed Sándor Farkas.
The politician, who holds the post of regional parliament representative, said that tree planting also draws people’s attention to environmental and nature protection. As an example, he mentioned nearby Baks, where last year they planted a row of trees with students, and the school classes each selected a tree to take care of.
The Secretary of State also mentioned that the goal of the coordinated afforestation and afforestation programs of the Ministry of Agriculture is that by 2030, 27 percent of the country’s territory will be covered by trees.
MTI
