Digital technology, seeds, processing are vital to the forestry sector

In the new phase, the forestry sector faces numerous challenges, such as ongoing violations related to deforestation and forest land encroachment, unsustainable exploitation of forest resources leading to ecosystem degradation, and increasing trade competition for wood products that demand clear product origins.

"Now is the time for us to simultaneously maintain market-driven momentum and unlock new drivers through science, technology, and innovation," Mr Phat said.

Using agriculture as an example, the Chairman of the Board of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) pointed out that it took decades for the price of Vietnamese rice to rise from $ 450 to $ 600/ton. However, with just one technological innovation—ST25 rice—the $ 1,000/ton threshold was achieved within a few years.

"The first and most important factor in developing science and technology is people. From there, innovations can emerge", he concluded.

According to Mr Bao, director of the Department of Forestry the average productivity of plantation forests in Vietnam is currently around 15-18 m³/ha/year, which is relatively low compared to the 30 m³/ha/year achieved in experimental models. Therefore, research and development of new varieties not only enable the expansion of large timber forest areas but also facilitate the certification of sustainable forest management and, more recently, the issuance of production unit codes.

Since 2013, the former Forestry General Department has developed the Forestry Sector Management Information System (FORMIS). This platform serves as the foundation for integrating and connecting specialized software and applications, supporting data updates and forming a forestry-specific database system.

Currently, numerous datasets have been integrated into the system, including forestry sector resource data, five-cycle national forest inventory data, site condition data for suitable afforestation, payments for forest environmental services, coastal forest data, and plantation season information.

Lastly, regarding wood processing technology, the Director of the Forestry Administration noted that in terms of export value, Vietnam ranks second globally, trailing only China, with an annual export turnover of approximately $ 16 billion.

To maintain export growth, Mr Bao emphasized the need to further enhance wood processing technology for export products. Currently, Vietnam utilizes about 70-80% of its raw materials from domestically planted forests. However, most local wood consists of species such as eucalyptus, acacia, and pine, which are generally small in size and not entirely suitable for producing high-end products.

Additionally, on the morning of November 15, Vietnam National University of Forestry officially opened the Training - Science and Technology - International Cooperation Exhibition on its campus.