TEVETA Executive Director, Wilson Makulumiza, said this on Monday in Mulanje when the parastatals, in conjunction with Kazembe Cedar Conservation Group, planted 500 cedar trees down in Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve.

“We have a class of carpentry and joinery where most of the raw materials are timbers that are produced from trees and without trees we definitely cannot have this course,” said Makulumiza.

Assistant District Forestry Officer, David Belo, said survival of trees planted in the forest reserve can be achieved with collaboration between the forestry department and the community around the mountain.

“On our own as the DFO, we cannot manage to sustain restored forests but we heavily need support from local communities through established Village Natural Resources Management Committees (VNRMCs),” said Belo.

Executive Director of Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT) Carl Breussow said there is need to intensify efforts in restoring lost cedar trees in the mountain.

“For the past five years we have been replanting cedar trees in Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve and we are yet to see the fruits of our efforts,” said Breussow,

Since last year, TEVETA through VNRMCs has been supporting Mulanje District Forest Office in restoration of cedar in Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve.

This year, TEVETA has supported Kazembe Cedar Conservation Group in raising 3, 000 cedar seedlings and 500 seedlings were planted on Monday in the mountain.