Musanze - Environmentalists and researchers from various organisations in the country have called upon international bodies, the private sector, and government institutions to invest in forestry and marketing of forest bi-products.

They made the call yesterday at the conclusion of a two-day planning session on priority actions in support of reforestation.

The forum, which convened for the first time, was organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and supported by Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC).

Yohana Gapusi Nganza, a researcher with Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), said forestry should be considered as a bedrock of the economy, which needs investment, strategic planning and sustainable protective measures.

"Initiatives to boost agriculture, such as land consolidation and formation of cooperatives, should be extended to the forestry sector, this is a venture not fully exploited, we encourage the private sector to invest in this sector,” Gapusi said.

"What is the role of researchers and universities? What products do they give to the local community?’’ Claudien Habimana, director of a Belgian funded reforestation project, PAREF, revealed that  over US$10 million has been earmarked for the reforestation programme in the three districts of Gakenke, Rulindo and Burera.