Around 600 eucalyptus species are spread all over the world and 60 of them are available in Ethiopia, from this number, four species are dominantly found throughout the country.

In an environment suffering from biomass and water shortages, erosion and land degradation, fast growing eucalyptus performs better than most indigenous tree species. Smallholders show a clear inclination for eucalyptus, which they benefit from the sale of eucalyptus poles and products to raise their incomes.

Despite the potential of eucalyptus to improve revenue, the species is always in controversy and it has been blamed for any poor performance of other plants around it but this controversy is being solved through intensive work by forest research center of EIAR.

According to EIAR’s Forest Research Director Dr Wubalem Tadesse, farmers around Ankober, Wayu and Anget Mewgiya Kebele are showing a tremendous change through working closely with the Center in using eucalyptus in a proper way for this reason, they are now fully aware ofhow, where and when to plant the species and benefit from it.

Areas covered by eucalyptus in the Kebele are far from farmlands so that there will be no interference in crops and other plants proper growth, rather the species is rescuing most highly degraded lands of the area. The center is now working tenaciously to satisfy the farmers’ frequent demand for the species’ seedlings, in doing so, farmers’ life is significantly changing and degraded lands are recovering.

Since what has been achieved is encouraging, the center is working persistently to reach more farmers and rescue the area’s degraded land and create more source of income. Therefore, these farmers are now enjoying all the satisfactions of killing two birds with one strike, changing their life through selling of eucalyptus poles and rescuing the highly degraded land of the area.