DILI, 15 january 2023 (TATOLI)— The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) through the National Directorate of Forestry, Coffee and Industrial Plants to develop sandalwood plantations covering an area of 100 hectares in two municipalities composed of Covalima and Bobonaro.
“This year we will expand the planting of sandalwood trees to 100 hectares of land, 50 hectares in Zulo village, Zumalai, Covalima municipalities, and another 50 hectares in the Manduki area, Aidaba leten village, Atabae, Bobonaro municipality,” explained the Director General of Forestry, Coffee and Industrial Plants, Raimundo Mau told Tatoli, this thursday.
Sandalwood seedlings will be planted in state-owned areas, in addition, MAF will also conduct further maintenance on the sandalwood that was produced last year.
MAP chose Manduki because previously they had planted sandalwood on 200 hectares of industrial land and it was growing well, adding that Manduki had 1,000 hectares of land filled with other plants and had vacant land.
“There is also vacant land in Zulo Village that is owned by Government, the Government has a plan in 30 years to be able to harvest some of the places that have been planted before,” he said.
Currently, the tree nursery is located in Maubara, Liquiça municipality which annually produces 20 species of plants including sandalwood, and includes other nurseries in Betano, Manufahi municipality, Viqueque, and Lautém.
“In Maubara, it is capable of producing 300,000 tree seedlings, and last year we produced nearly 200,000 tree seedlings,” said Raimundo Mau.
He also asked the community not only to become consumers of existing sandalwood trees but also to learn how to care for and plant them in their yards or land because sandalwood contributes to great economic value in the country.
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia B.
