THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources has allocated P79,323,000 for the construction of a mechanized nursery facility for seedlings in Negros Oriental to boost the National Greening Program (NGP).
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources officer Oscar Magallones said the mechanized nursery intends to accommodate 40 million seedlings in a 10-hectare lot in barangay Banban, Ayungon town.
Magallones said only five pilot areas in the country have this kind of nursery, which include National Capital Region, regions 5 and 13, DENR-Central Office, and Negros Oriental in region 7.
The environmental department has targeted the completion of the nursery construction this year.
Magallones said the mechanized nursery will produce forest tree seedlings which include indigenous tree species and fruit bearing trees such as coffee and cacao.
Magallones said the nursery will supply seedlings to neighboring provinces next year.
NGP aims to reforest 1.5 million hectares of denuded land in the country by planting 1.5 billion trees from 2011 to 2016.