8.4 Billion Seedlings Readied Nationwide Ahead of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Campaign

Addis Ababa, June 2, 2025 (FMC) — Ethiopia has prepared 8.4 billion tree seedlings across the country for this year’s Green Legacy planting campaign, surpassing the initial target, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

In an exclusive interview with Fana Media Corporation, Mr. Shanko Tessa, Head of the Watershed Development Desk at the Ministry, revealed that the original plan was to plant 7.5 billion seedlings nationwide. However, preparations have exceeded expectations, with 8.4 billion seedlings now ready for planting.

He noted that the campaign aims to cover 1.9 million hectares of land, of which 1.5 million hectares have already been identified as suitable planting sites. Detailed planting maps have been developed for over 492,000 hectares within these designated areas.

Mr. Shanko also disclosed that more than 518.9 million seedlings have already been planted over the past few months.

Additionally, 3.1 billion planting pits have been prepared so far, and efforts are ongoing to meet the full target ahead of the main planting season.

The campaign has already been rolled out at over 116,000 sites, including government institutions, private facilities, religious organizations, schools, and individual farmers’ plots.

He highlighted that the seedlings prepared include a diverse mix of species—ranging from forest and bamboo to mixed-forest varieties and ornamental plants for urban beautification.

To ensure the campaign’s success, Mr. Shanko affirmed that a national steering committee is conducting weekly performance reviews with the participation of key stakeholders from various sectors.