Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Bisher Al Khasawneh on Thursday attended the national ceremony held on the occasion of Arbor Day, which falls annually on January 15 in Jordan.

The ceremony, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, was held in Yajouz forest and plant nursery, the Jordan News Agency, Petra reported.

The premier, Minister of Agriculture Mohammad Daoudiyeh, MP Najeh Odwan, the rapporteur of the Lower House’s agriculture committee, and a number of officials took part in planting trees in the forest located along the road linking Amman with the Yajouz area.

During the ceremony, Khasawneh highlighted the government’s efforts to support and preserve the agricultural sector.

The prime minister was also briefed on the Ministry of Agriculture’s plans and programmes afoot to the national afforestation project.

The Ministry of Agriculture produces nearly two million forest and 650,000 fruit saplings a year, Daoudiyeh said, noting that the kingdom’s forested area is estimated at 1.1 million dunums, stressing the ministry’s goal to increase the Kingdom’s green cover.

The Ministry of Agriculture has distributed, so far, two million forest saplings generated by 16 plant nurseries across the Kingdom, while another one million forest and fruit saplings will be distributed during the next two months, Petra added.