Tanzania, Aug. 31 -- Dar es Salaam. Tanzania's ambitious plans to restore its forests under the National Development Vision 2050 face a major bottleneck, with a huge shortage of seedlings hampering reforestation efforts.

The gap threatens to undermine efforts to reverse forest loss and meet climate commitments.

A press statement by Tanzania Conservation and Heritage Initiatives (TCHI) shows that the country's 184 local councils required 276 million tree seedlings during the 2024/25 financial year. However, Tanzania Forest Service (TFS) produced only 35 million seedlings, leaving an 87.3 percent supply shortfall.

The deficit is compounded by inadequate seed collection, with reports showing that between 2021 and 2025, annual collection r...