NGO plants rubber seedlings on reclaimed galamsey land

Partners of Nature Africa (PONA), an NGO in afforestation and rejuvenation of Galamsey sites, has started the plantation of rubber seedlings on reclaimed sites at Peminanse in the Asiwa District of the Ashanti region.

With the support of Bercof Company Ltd, and Fredko Consult, plantation companies, the Organization has planted two hundred seedlings of the species believed to have high economic benefits at Peminase on pilot basis.

According to the Operations Director of Partners of Nature Africa, Forster Amofah, the trial of the rubber plant is an attempt by Partners of Nature Africa to ensure maximum benefits to the members of the catchment areas of project.

“We realized that the rubber plantations mature by the sixth year and can begin yielding financial benefits to the people whilst serving as environmental protection measure,” Mr. Amofah said.

He added that, “the community can harvest the rubber for the next forty years before finally cutting it down as timber”.

He expressed appreciation to Bercof Company Ltd. and Fredko Consult for offering support towards the reclamation exercise embarked upon by Partners of Nature Africa.

He disclosed that PONA had already reclaimed a land area of about forty acres at Peminanse and Akyease in the Asiwa District and still counting.

He appealed to government, corporate bodies and philanthropists to support the effort at reclaiming Galamsey-destroyed lands that can be transformed into economically-viable terrains.

Mr. Alex Ofori, C.E.O. of Bercof Company Ltd, stated that his company’s support for the project is their contribution to making the environment of Ghana serener and suitable for the citizens.

He pledged to build partnership with Partners of Nature Africa in its efforts.

For his part, Mr. Frederic A, Koranteng, C.E.O. of Fredko Consult, said they would continue to develop seedlings to support the project to ensure more communities in the country benefit from the rejuvenation exercise.

Partners of Nature Africa has, since 2016, been engaged in activities aimed at restoring areas destroyed by Galamsey activities.

The Organization has toured some 250 communities in the Eastern, Western, Central, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Northern regions of Ghana and has begun its reclamation exercise in the Ashanti region