Plant Organic Fruit Trees with African Farmers

March 2012: 

In his Tree Distribution Report, Project Manager Abderrahim Ouarghidi explains that in February 22,000 walnut and cherry trees were distributed to families from 2 fruit tree nurseries established by HAF in 2010. Beginning with 25,000 walnut trees and 20,000 cherry trees, these nurseries have been carefully managed for 2 years, now providing 43 villages with trees of their own. 

Due to poor growing conditions last year (snow that arrived at a later than optimal time), a number of cherry trees were lost, leaving only 6000 ready to be distributed. The remaining 7500 cherry trees will be kept in the nursery for another year to be re-grafted next year and then distributed. Those 7500 trees will benefit 300 households in the 12 villages which did not receive trees this year.

This nursery project was considered a successful training program for the villagers who learned all of the necessary skills of upkeep, pruning, grafting, etc. leading up to receiving trees of their own. 

The whole process of distributing the trees took 2 days. Cherry and walnut saplings were transferred from the nurseries where they had been raised, bagged, accounted for, and then transported to their new homes in remote douars (villages). The attached photo collage of the walnut tree distribution shows just how remote these areas are, some of the people who participated in this enormous task, and finally the farmers awaiting delivery of the new trees which they know will transform their lives.

• Fruit Tree Distribution Feb 2012 (PDF)