Prime
The importance of trees to farmers
Michael Ssali
What you need to know:
- Some trees are said to be nitrogen fixing. Area agricultural services extension officers may be consulted for guidance by farmers about the source of seedlings for such trees whose leaves are also nutritive fodder for goats, rabbits, cattle, and sheep.
If our leaders repeatedly call upon us to plant trees they may not be just playing politics. We have to plant trees because they are so important to our very existence and survival.
Farmers are particularly encouraged to plant trees on their farms because they play multiple roles in supporting crops and pastures. They are a source of food since many of them are fruit trees.
We enjoy eating mangoes, jackfruit, and several other fruits which are picked from trees. They are a source of nectar and pollen used by the bees to make honey. Farmers plant some root food crops such as yams which are climbers and often rely on strong trees like mutuba tree for support as they grow. Passion fruit plants are climbers too and their fruits are usually seen dropping to the ground from tree branches. Trees give support to crops with weak stems.
Some trees are said to be nitrogen fixing. Area agricultural services extension officers may be consulted for guidance by farmers about the source of seedlings for such trees whose leaves are also nutritive fodder for goats, rabbits, cattle, and sheep. The twigs of many trees such as the mango tree and mutuba tree carry leaves that are fodder for farmed animals.
The trees also naturally shed off leaves which decompose and become manure to enrich the soil. They are windbreakers and protect crops against heavy storms. They mitigate soil erosion. They can be used as farm boundary marks. Some trees are medicinal and their leaves can be used as a remedy for many illnesses that attack both mankind and livestock.
Farmers often have to construct animal shelters and they need wood to do so. Why then should they not grow their own trees? By planting trees and shrubs on their farms they reduce the temptation to go looking for wood in the reserved natural forests protected by National Environment Management Authority (Nema).
They grow their own firewood to cook their food. When we speak about food security, often people think it is merely about availability of sufficient nutritious food for people to eat and live healthy lives. Firewood is equally important in the discussion of food security. There is no point having plenty of beans and maize when there is no firewood to cook them. The beef, the fish, and the chicken must all be cooked to taste well.
Mr Michael Ssali is a veteran journalist,
