Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth has announced that a Phnom Penh sapling distribution event that was held earlier this month was such a success
Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth has announced that a Phnom Penh sapling distribution event that was held earlier this month was such a success that it will be staged again next year.
The environment ministry’s July 10-12 celebrations of the “Green Sprouts Promotion and Seedling Distribution Exhibition and 4th National Orchid Forum” saw over 920,000 mixed seedlings distributed to the public.
While the event will be held in Phnom Penh again for the second time next year, the minister intends to take the celebrations nationwide in its third year, with planning already underway for events in all 25 capital-provinces.
“The exhibition achieved proud results. People from all walks of life visited us and we handed out more than 920,000 of the 1.3 million saplings we had in stock,” said Sophalleth.
“This event served as a test run. The 25 capital-provincial environment departments are currently distributing the remaining saplings to the public,” he added.
The satisfactory results of the exhibition were extremely encouraging for the ministry, which is optimistic about its efforts. More seedlings will be raised for next year’s event.
“Next year we will do it for a second time. The first test was conducted in Phnom Penh, and so will the second one. The third trial will be conducted in all 25 capital and provincial departments of the environment. Now that we have seen the favourable results we achieved, we are almost ready to hand the celebrations off to the provincial level,” the minister explained.
He emphasised that every provincial department will be responsible for organising an annual seedling distribution fair.
“In addition to these annual fairs, we aim to organise major planting events,” he added.
He believed that next year’s activities would see the ministry grow at least five million saplings, which would be distributed to the public free of charge.
In the future, regional nurseries will be capable of producing 10 million seedlings per annum.
Sophalleth explained that the distribution of seedlings was part of cultivating a public appreciation of trees, greenery and the environment.
Although the tree distribution ceremony has been completed in Phnom Penh, environment departments around the country will continue to distribute seedlings until July 16.
