The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has revealed that over 23, 000 youth will soon be recruited to plant trees.

According to the Lands and Natural Resources ministry, the move is part of the Government’s plan to plant six-thousand hectares of trees every year.

Latest statistics indicate that Ghana loses 65 thousand hectares of its trees and timber resources each year.

About 4.9 million tons of wood is currently being exploited through illegal means and smuggled outside the country.

There are currently fears that the country will not have any locally sawn timber in the next five years.

But the deputy minister of Lands and Natural Resources Benito Owusu-Bio in an interview with Ultimate News said government is employing 23, 000 young people to work in a number of afforestation projects in designated districts to stem the tide.

“We are going to recruit 23, 000 youth in afforestation who are going to be attached to the various district offices and their job will be to plant trees,” Mr. Owusu-Bio said.