Cambodia’s Green Sprout campaign distributed about 5.5 million saplings

July distribution pushed the campaign past its original target

On June 25, the Ministry of Environment said it had prepared 5 million saplings for free distribution during the rainy season, including 1.5 million palm seedlings. The programme was intended for homes, schools, pagodas, public spaces and community reforestation rather than for one type of recipient.

By July 13, the ministry said 5.3 million saplings had been distributed since the start of 2026. Of that total, 1.2 million were handed out during the Green Sprout exhibition in Phnom Penh from July 10 to 13. A ministry update tied to an August 28 planting activity later put the 2026 total at approximately 5.5 million assorted tree and palm saplings.

Those figures describe distribution, not survival. A seedling collected from a nursery is not the same thing as an established tree, so the campaign totals are not a direct measure of new mature tree cover.

For practical context, see Cambodia economy and finance. This development also connects with Cambodia Says Farm Financing Reached $170m in Three Years.

Free saplings were not limited to the Phnom Penh exhibition

The June notice said people could also obtain trees through provincial environment departments and five regional nurseries in Tboung Khmum, Siem Reap, Kampong Speu, Mondulkiri and Koh Kong. That matters for residents outside the capital because the scheme was designed as a nationwide distribution network, not just a central event.

The sources reviewed do not provide live stock levels for each nursery or province. Anyone looking for a particular species or a larger number of saplings should therefore confirm local availability before making a trip rather than assuming the national distribution figure reflects what is still on hand today.

The practical question is what can thrive on the site

For a household, free seedlings can reduce the cost of adding shade or greenery. Schools, pagodas, housing developments and community groups can use the programme for larger planting areas, but the benefits depend on matching the species to the site and maintaining young trees after planting.

Space, roots, drainage, nearby buildings and access to water all matter more at site level than the national headline figure. The programme creates access to planting material; it does not remove the need to plan where the tree will grow and who will care for it.