Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Matthew Samuda, has launched a tree planting competition that will allow the nation’s schools to lend a helping hand in the ministry’s National Tree Planting Initiative (NTPI).

Samuda introduced the competition at the recent launch of the Forestry Department’s National School Tree Planting Competition at the agency’s offices in Constant Spring, St Andrew.

He said that planting and protecting trees are integral to protecting the environment and safeguarding persons’ wellbeing.

“The economic agenda for growth cannot be decoupled from the agenda for environmental protection. The two go hand in hand, if we are to have sustainability within our society,” he said.

The competition aims to encourage greater youth participation in the NTPI to plant three million trees, and is open to students at the early childhood, primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.

Samuda described the competition as an “excellent initiative” that “acknowledges and recognises the important role our schools have in making sure that our children are not just highly educated, but highly conscious of the role that they have to play, to ensure the preservation of trees.”

The competition, which is being jointly sponsored by the Jamaica Public Service Company, VM Wealth Management, Xsomo International, and Fraser, Fontaine and Kong Limited, will give the winners, first and second runners-ups at each level a cash prize of $300,000, $150,000, and $75,000, respectively.

There will also be sectional prizes for the most outstanding teachers and students.

Additionally, the school at each level that disseminates and plants the most fruit and ornamental seedlings on their grounds or in the surrounding community by February 28, 2023, will win cash and other prizes.

Interested persons and institutions are invited to register for the competition by completing the entry form on the Forestry Department’s website: www.forestry.gov,jm/national-school-tree-plantin.

The Forestry Department will provide the first 50 seedlings to each registered institution.

– JIS News