By Okuly Julius-Dodoma

Tanzania - The Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr. Pindi Chana, has banned the practice of farmers in the country to prepare fields by burning, instead they should use alternative methods to continue to preserve forests.

Because farmers have often been using that method to prepare their fields for the farming season, which has had an impact on forests and natural vegetation.

Minister Chana has said this today, January 11, 2023, while speaking to the citizens who came out in the tree planting exercise in the Swaswa Dam located in Ipagala ward in Dodoma, If it is a continuation of the tree planting towards the peak of the 59th anniversary of the Zanzibar revolution.

Where Minister Chana added that fire tends to spread according to the direction of the wind and go to areas that were not meant to be burned, thus leading to the destruction of forests because farmers set fire and leave.

" Farmers have been using the burning method to prepare their fields for the farming season, which has had an impact on our forests,

And adding "Let's stop using that method to prepare fields to save our forests," said Dr. Chana

He has also asked the breeders to stop the habit of introducing livestock into the forest reserves and especially into the trees that are being planted at the moment as the livestock stimulates the desert and leads to effects that reach further and even lead to the occurrence of water shortages as there is damage to water sources.

For his part, Deputy Secretary General Office of the Vice President for Union and Environment Abdallah Mitawi has said that the Zanzibar revolution is an example of Tanzania's Union, Freedom and Solidarity and it has been seen that it is good to celebrate by planting trees to continue uniting Dodoma.

The deputy secretary has said that they are determined to plant 5 thousand trees within three days in Dodoma City which will leave a lasting memory of the 59 years of the Zanzibar revolution

"Planting trees is not a job, but a big job is to take care of these trees to grow because some people do not have the habit of taking care of trees, so I ask the people to take care of trees and stop the habit of letting livestock eat trees, they should stop immediately," said Mitawi