Katsina state government said it has reserved 150 hectares of land for the establishment of 15 industrial plantations in 6 local government areas of the state.
Special Adviser to Katsina state governor on Forestry, Alhaji Abdulwahab Sani-store, made this known to newsmen in Katsina on Wednesday.
Sani-store said that three industrial plantations would be established in Funtua, Daura and Mani, while Dutsinma, Kankia and Malumfashi would have two each.
He said each plantation would cover 10 hectares of land, pointing out that the government had already acquired different varieties of improved tree seedlings for the project.
The governor’s aide added that a borehole would be drilled in each plantation to provide water to the trees up to maturity stage.
Sani-store said that the project was expected to commence at the beginning of 2014 rainy season, and that the plantations would provide wood for building, furniture and other industrial purposes.
He added that the programme would reduce indiscriminate felling of tress in the forests, which expose the environment to desertification and soil erosion.
He said that when the trees had reached maturity stage, the state government would generate more revenue from the project.
The aide warned people to desist from indiscriminate felling of trees, and urged them to imbibe the habit of planting trees in their environment.
NAN