Firm pledges support in restoring Viphya Plantation

Consolidated Processing Industry (CPI) in Viphya Plantation has committed to support government in restoring the plantation by planting more trees and caring for them.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, CPI managing director Tawonga Mtegha, whose organisation promotes sustainability of forests, said CPI has the potential to cover hundreds of hectares (ha) a year and manage the forest sustainably.

He said the company has already planted 600 000 trees in Viphya Plantation this year and plans to plant more trees.

 Mtegha said CPI plans to be planting an average of 500 ha a year to restore the plantation.

“We can do it. What we need is to support government on it replanting programme but also taking care of the forest. I believe the private sector has to play a crucial role in ensuring that the plantation has vegetative cover,” he said.

In a separate interview, Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mines spokesperson Sangwani Phiri  said the private sector should support government’s efforts to ensure that afforestation is done and seedlings are taken care of.

He said caring for the environment is not the duty of government alone and asked CPI to plant as many trees as it can and also motivate other companies to do the same. n