Reforestation
The dual need is to uplift the lives of all citizens and to complement the tobacco industry, the lifeblood of the Malawian economy.

In September 2002, a tree-nursery project was started that brought work and cash to rural districts.

 

It was intended that every small-scale flue-cured tobacco farmer would produce 500 trees of his own and some of the estates would be devoted to reforestation. In this way tobacco production would become sustainable and self-sufficient in terms of wood for the curing barns. On the smallholder farms, trees have been and would be planted on marginal land that is not suitable for tobacco production due to factors such as soil type, location relative to facilities like water, or damp lands.

 

In addition to the farmers individual activities on their plot of land, Lisoka, Mpale Santhe and Mpherero are examples of estates that are fully dedicated to tree growing. 

 

The primary objective is to produce timber that would complement the tobacco industry. In the country there is limited electricity supply to most estates; farmers therefore rely on timber to cure their tobacco.

 

The secondary objective is to satisfy the domestic requirement for firewood in surrounding villages. These estates, covering more than 750 ha in total, have had an immediate beneficial effect on the local environment, increasing and stabilizing rainfall and attracting wildlife. They have also provided employment for several people, mainly women, who produced the millions of seedlings required.
Limbe Leaf Tobacco Company worked with and empowered communities through training to ensure their involvement in the raising of tree nurseries. rseries.
Community Tree Planting
       Farmers proudly displaying their work

LLTC also finances community tree planting projects besides providing the necessary resources: tree seed, materials, tools, advice and training in partnership with Land Resources Centre and Total Land Care. The communities and farmers raise seedlings and plant and cultivate the trees independently. Continuous management of the trees is as important as the cultivation to achieve the programme’s objectives.

Tree planting programme addresses three major problems:

  • Soil fertility
  • Soil erosion
  • Wood shortages

The reforestation programme began with 10 communities in the Ngala area in 2002 and initially targeted 400 households totaling 1,600 beneficiaries. It continued with Press Agriculture Limited Estate plantations and to date one of the estates boasts of 218 hectares of assorted tree species. Overall 1000 hectares have been planted in the estates. Every year LLTC finances and provides seed materials to its contracted flue cured and dark fire tobacco farmers.

In 2008, LLTC decided to support non-traditional tobacco growing communities in their reforestation efforts. LLTC therefore partnered with Nkhoma Synod and the surrounding communities, the Department of Forestry and the NGO Total Land Care to reforestate the Nkhoma-Mazengera area in Lilongwe. The programme continues to this day and has covered so far 87.5 hectares in 33 villages.

 


Farmers are encouraged to plant trees .
© 2010 Limbe Leaf Tobacco Company
Kanengo, Lilongwe, Malawi