By Joel Phiri
Mzimba District has set a target to plant seven million trees during the 2025/2026 National Forestry Season as part of efforts to restore forest cover and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Senior Forestry Officer for Mzimba District, Masozi Shaba, said preparations for the season are progressing well, with seedling production already at an advanced stage.
“Preparations for the tree planting are going on well. So far, we have produced 5,896,003 seedlings, and the exercise is continuing. We will announce the official date for the launch of the Mzimba District forestry season in due course,” said Shaba in an interview.
She said the district will work closely with various stakeholders and partners operating in the area to ensure the target is met.
She added that during last year’s tree planting season, the district planted a total of 4,198,803 trees, but recorded a survival rate of about 59.95 percent.
“Some of the trees did not survive due to erratic rainfall patterns experienced last season. Prolonged dry spells affected newly planted seedlings in some areas,” she explained.
Malawi’s National Forestry Season runs from 15 December to 15 April 2026.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining, the theme for the 2025/2026 National Forestry Season is Trees and forests for community resilience.
In the 2025/2026 season, government earmarks to plant 41,000 tree seedlings and manage 4,000 hectares of natural regenerants nationwide.
