The government had to embark on a major tree-planting revolution as the deforestation rate was becoming a concern. [File Photo]

The government had to embark on a major tree-planting revolution as the deforestation rate was becoming a concern.

Ministry of Forestry’s Permanent Secretary Pene Baleinabuli says their calculations show that the rate of deforestation is about 4,000 hectares per year.

Baleinabuli says deforestation deprives the nation of much-needed revenue.

“Because of the rate of deforestation, we can’t detect and we believe that we might not be capturing all the revenue that’s supposed to be captured.”

Baleinabuli adds over the past 20 months, over 2.2 million trees that are covering over 2000 hectares have been planted in Fiji.

“So when government noticed the rate of deforestation, it quickly made it business to embark on a major reforestation campaign and tree growing revolution.”

The Permanent Secretary adds illegal activities within the Forestry sector is also rife and needs to be curbed immediately.