Continuous efforts to make the forest greener

Plan to plant forests early

After three years of implementing the Project to develop and enhance the value of tea products and strong products of Phu Luong district (Thai Nguyen province) for the 2021 - 2025 period, with an orientation to 2030, the productivity of planted forests in the district has reached 96.5% of the plan by 2025.

Up to now, the total forest area in Phu Luong district is over 16,800 hectares, accounting for 48% of the total natural area. Through statistics and evaluation, the productivity of planted forests in the region is estimated to reach 77m3/ha/cycle, reaching 96.5% of the plan by 2025 (80m3/ha/cycle).

Implementing the program to develop large timber forests and improve production efficiency and value from forests, by early 2024, households planting large timber forests are estimated to reach nearly 230 hectares. Phu Luong district is also actively coordinating and creating conditions for related businesses to support people in taking steps according to the process to receive FSC forest management certification (sustainable forest management).

In 2023, the forest production value in Phu Luong district reached nearly VND 220 billion, which is equal to 100% of the year's plan and more than 25% by 2025 (almost VND 860 billion).

According to the plan, by 2024, Vo Nhai district (Thai Nguyen) strives to plant over 500 hectares of forests of all types, achieving a forest coverage rate of over 70%. Accordingly, to complete the goal, Vo Nhai District People's Committee has implemented many solutions right from the last months of 2023 and early 2024.

Specifically, from the end of 2023, Vo Nhai District People's Committee has directed specialized departments, communes, and towns to review and grasp the afforestation needs of organizations and households in the area to develop plans. Plant forests in 2024 and submit to competent authorities for approval.

On that basis, the district has directed specialized departments and committees to coordinate with communes and towns to register people's area and quantity of seedlings according to projects. At the same time, train and guide people on techniques for planting and caring for forests to ensure the right season.

This year, Lien Minh commune, Vo Nhai district, strives to plant more than 80 hectares of forest as a typical locality in afforestation work. According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Trong, Vice Chairman of Lien Minh Commune People's Committee, to ensure the area and season for afforestation, the commune has sent professional staff to coordinate with forest rangers in charge of the area to review eligible forest areas to put into afforestation in 2024.

In addition to developing afforestation plans, instructing people on planting and care techniques, and ensuring a high survival rate of trees, Vo Nhai district also cares about providing seedlings with guaranteed quantity and quality. Specifically, the District People's Committee has strengthened the direction of functional forces to inspect forestry tree nurseries in the district based on records of seed batch origin, number of seeds, and number of planted trees.

Through actual inspection, it has been shown that most of the establishments' seedlings are planted 2 - 3 months before leaving the garden, with the seedlings having a 25 - 30cm height.

Far exceeding the annual afforestation target

The area of concentrated afforestation in Thai Nguyen province in 2023 was more than 4,300 hectares. Of these, planting larger wood forests reached 1,100 hectares, increasing the area of large wood forests in the province by 2023 to more than 4,800 hectares. In 2023, Thai Nguyen province also deployed 600 hectares of cinnamon planting in Dinh Hoa and Vo Nhai districts, bringing the total area of cinnamon in the province to more than 4,500 hectares.

Notably, in 2023, Dai Tu district implemented afforestation, exceeding the plan by nearly 203%. Specifically, the locality has planted nearly 610 hectares of forest, far exceeding the target of 300 hectares. In particular, people invested their capital and planted almost 340 hectares of small timber forests, surpassing the yearly estimate of 150 hectares. Large timber forest planting reached more than 270 hectares, exceeding the annual plan for 150 hectares.

Regarding building a sustainable forest management plan, up to now, Thai Nguyen province has 3/5 group II forest owners managing special-use and production forests with approved sustainable forest management plans with an area of more than 34,400 hectares, including more than 30,000 hectares of special-use forests and nearly 4,300 hectares of production forests. Currently, Dinh Hoa ATK Forest Management Board is implementing procedures to develop a sustainable forest management plan for 2021 - 2030 with more than 5,500 hectares of special-use forests.

Accordingly, Thai Nguyen Provincial Forest Protection Department has increased propaganda and mobilized people to practice sustainable forest management and participate in forest certification. In 2023, 5/9 Forest Ranger Department reviewed nearly 12,000 hectares of forest to guide forest owners in implementing sustainable forest management, issuing forest certificates and implementing FSC forest guidance on payment orders and procedures. Payment and settlement of funding to support the issuance of sustainable forest management certificates in Thai Nguyen province.

In 2023, in response to the program of planting 1 billion new trees in 2021 - 2025, the total number of scattered trees planted throughout Thai Nguyen province was more than 1.4 million, reaching 120% of the yearly plan of (nearly 1.2 million trees).

According to statistics, the number of trees updated to ThaiNguyen SmartTrees tree management software from 2021 to now is more than 8.4 million trees. Specifically, in 2021, nearly 1.3 million trees were updated. In 2022, nearly 5 million trees were updated. And in 2023, nearly 2.2 million trees were updated.