adminplantation policy to curb deforestation caused by tobacco farmers.
“We have put in place a policy which requires tobacco farmers to present proof that they have a gum tree plantation when they are auctioning tobacco, failure of which they may fail to sell their crop,” she said.
Ms Makoto said if tobacco farmers complied with the policy, deforestation would be reduced this year.
She said tobacco farmers should use gum trees to cure tobacco instead of indigenous ones.
“We are working with the British American Tobacco which is supplying gum tree plants to tobacco farmers.
At least 330 000 hectares of forest is lost every year, mainly during agriculture preparations and tobacco curing.
One million kilogrammes of tobacco requires some 45 000 tonnes for curing.
Worldwide, tropical forests remove 4,8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis when trees absorb carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen which humans and other animals breathe.
Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases that have been identified as causing global warming, which in turn is responsible for the changes in climatic conditions that are occurring on the earth. – New Ziana.
Online Reporter