HON/10/029 - Tree nursery facilities and training

Objective: Improve tree nursery facilities including better irrigation systems, better germination beds, expansion and increase of the area covered by germination and propagation beds. A large watershed water producing area will be reforested using plants from the school nursery. Improved teaching materials for the students on how to produce better quality trees for reforestation and agroforestry farms. Local communities will produce plants of good genetic quality for multiple uses in order to achieve better food security. Income generated will allow further reinvestment to enhance nursery, tree production and, in a not-too-distant future, diversify the species to be produced according to market demand.

Background: Producers of cocoa, plantain, bananas and some coffee in their late 40s or 50s directly carry out field work since the region has been seriously affected by emigration of young men and women; it is therefore very common to see older people carrying out field work. No sex group differentiation. Most of them do not use proper tree species and continue to use the trees of their ancestors that are not appropriate, and very rudimentary techniques. Several students of the school of agriculture are offspring of nearby agroforestry producers. The school feels strongly about promoting and projecting its activities to surrounding producers to help them improve their producing techniques, as a school social activity in the surrounding villages.

Use of Funds: Most of the budget requested will be used to improve the nursery facilities. The project will introduce the use of faster growing nitrogen-fixing trees and also multiple-use trees in order to provide dwellers with timber and also with fruits and firewood. Training course for producers to better and more efficiently manage such trees and their agroforestry farms so that production may increase even when the extent of the land owned remains the same. To improve the knowledge of local people in the production of forestry plants. To improve agroforestry production in the region, the school hopes that the nursery will be ready to continue producing and even selling the trees so as to ensure its sustainability. Upon completion of the project, the school will continue to provide supervision through its Technical Department.

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