"Last year we planted 1.5 billion trees and this year we have set ourselves the target of planting trees in higher number than last year. The number of trees planted since early March is still unknown because the seedling phase is still going on," Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said at a tree-planting function marking the 2012 Foresters` Service Day in Sentul, Bogor district, West Java, on Sunday.
He said any forest management policy would always be associated with efforts to improve the forest management system and forest condition.
"What is clear is that it (the forest management policy) is far better because it is combined with the effort to anticipate climate change," he said.
There was no policy of the forestry ministry which destroyed forests. Forests were damaged because many people had converted them into oil palm plantations and the past policies were not appropriate, he said.
On the occasion, the minister also handed Rp50 million in cash, 2,000 `sengon` tree seeds and a pair of sheep to Dahlia, Silvo and Cita Tani Mandiri farmers groups each.
Director General of River Basin Area Management and Social Forestry at the Forestry Ministry Harry Santoso said 104 million trees were planted in 2008, exceeding the government-set target of 100 million.
The number of trees planted in 2009 increased to 250 million, or 20 million higher than the target of 230 million, he said.
Last year the number of trees planted soared to 1.5 billion, outstripping the target of 1 billion, he said.
"The numbers were all based upon reports from governors all over Indonesia," he said.
(A027)
Editor: Ella Syafputri
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
