As part of the Government's policy to strengthen plant and forest cover in Haiti, the Ministry of the Environment (MDE) through the Directorate of Forests and Renewable Energies (DFER) continues to collect seeds from forest trees and fruit trees in several departments of the country.

Thus, on the instructions of James Cadet, the Minister of the Environment, a team from the DFER was mobilized during the months of March and April 2022, in the Center department, where it collected and prepared several thousand seeds of : Teak (Tectona grandis), Melina (Gmelina arborea), Cassia (Cassia siamea), Foreign and country mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla and mahogani) among others.

The collection is now continuing in the North-East department with a view to the production of forest and fruit plants in the Germoplasm and Plant Propagation Centers of the Ministry, community and school nurseries or direct sowing in planting area of forest restoration programs.

These seeds come from Pinus cones and wildings, treated grains, root cuttings, apical sprouts and fresh branch cuttings harvested in the different regions of the country listed by local ecological associations, trainees, eco-volunteer agents and technicians from the Ministry of the Environment.

This new collection is carried out in collaboration with the North-East Departmental Directorate of the Ministry through the municipalities of Ouanaminthe, Fort-Liberté, Capotille, Mont-Organise and Carice.

The species collected include :

Pine (Pinus occidental);

Guaiac (Guaiacum officinale);

Oak (Catalpa longissima);

True tree (Arthocarpus altllis);

Melina (Gmelina aborea);

Mango tree (Mangifera indica);

Routilis (Reutealis trisperma);

Flamboyant (Oelonix regla);

Cedars (Cedrela odorata L);

Cashew nuts (Anacardlum occidentalis);

Benzolive (Moringa oleifera);

Hourglass/Rabbi (Hura crepitans);

Mapou (Ceiba pentandra).

Note that this seed collection program also aims to support community and commercial nurseries, in view to strengthening their contribution in the fight against the disappearance of native and endemic species and guaranteeing a sustainable supply of good quality forest and fruit seeds throughout the territory.

HL/ HaitiLibre