Ethiopia has set to plant 25 percent of forestry seedlings along the Nile Basin in the coming rainy season, Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) disclosed.

MoA Natural Resources Protection and Usage Lead Executive Officer Fanosie Mekonnen told the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that the country would plant 6.5 billion saplings in the coming rainy season.

Agroforestry and forestry trees respectively cover 60 and 40 percent of the total seedlings prepared to be planted this year as part of the Green Legacy Initiative, he said, adding that some 25 percent of forestry saplings would be planted along the Nile basin.

According to Fanosie, Ethiopia has been working to protect Abbay Dam from sedimentation by strengthening natural resource protection and conservation activities within the Nile Basin.

He pointed out that the Ministry has been working together with all states' leaders to meet the target.

The general public has been also implementing basin and green legacy initiative development activities, he added.

Moreover, he stated, the country has been working to plant 50 billion seedlings in the first and second phases of the Green Legacy initiative.

Over the last five years, some 32.5 billion seedlings were planted across the country andthis year's biological, soiland water conservation activities will be carried out under this initiative, he noted.

To realize the plan, Fanosie indicated that the development of seedlings is taking place in nursery stations across the country.

The Officer also called on the public to strengthen the preservation and conservation of planted tree seedlings.