Harvesting timbers from a planted forest in Ca Mau province. — Photo courtesy of nhandan.vn

HÀ NỘI — Solutions should be taken to create stable material areas to promote sustainable development of the wood industry, insiders have said.

Việt Nam’s forest coverage rate is set to reach 42-43%, while the forest production value is expected to increase by 5-5%, according to the forestry development strategy for the 2021-2030 period.

Under the strategy, the country aims to earn US$23 – 25 billion from exporting forestry products, and grow 1 million ha of big timber forests nationwide by 2030 to form sustainable raw material zones for the wood processing industry serving export and domestic consumption.

According to businesses, although the timber supply currently meets over 70% of the demand for processing wood for export, the stability and sustainability remain low due to the insufficient quality of planted trees.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)’s Forestry Department said that localities are facing difficulties in afforestation efforts, particularly in planting high-quality big timber forests, due to the small-scale planning land plots, fragmentation in many areas, and dispersed rather than contiguous regions.

Due to the scarcity of supply from planted forests, wood processing enterprises are facing many difficulties in purchasing raw materials.

To address this situation, enterprises are advised to promptly develop cooperative development plans along the forestry product value chain, and promote collaboration models between enterprises and growers granted sustainable forest management certificates in localities.

Stable material areas needed for sustainable wood industry. — VNA/VNS Photo

These are important prerequisites for promoting stable and sustainable development of the wood industry, thus meeting the demand of the markets.

Insiders said, to quickly address the shortage of wood materials, there is no better solution than developing high-quality production forests and sustainably certified forests by international and domestic authorised organisations.

Statistics from the Forestry Department showed that the forest area nationwide has increased quite rapidly, curently standing at about 14.74 million ha, with planted forests accounting for 4.57 million ha or 31%, and natural forests marking up 10.17 million ha or 69%.

Apart from providing jobs for millions of farming households, planted forests have become the main source of supply for the wood processing industry and exports.

Many localities have focused on developing big timber forests, improving productivity and quality of forests associated with promoting sustainable forest management and increasing the area of certified forests, thus providing legal and quality materials for processing, and increasing incomes for forest growers.

To realise the forestry development strategy in the 2021-2030 period, the MARD devised several measures in its plan, including reviewing the land reserves and big timber forests eligible for development, connecting forest growers with businesses, and promoting sustainable forest management and forest certification.

It will also step up the development of high-yield and high-quality plant varieties that meet the market’s demand and are resistant to diseases and adverse environmental conditions to use for afforestation.

Favourable mechanisms and policies such as exempting or reducing land rent and land use tax, supporting investment, and providing soft loans to attract private resources to developing big timber forests. — VNA/VNS