Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Thua Thien-Hue (VNA) - Household-owned timber plantations must be substantiallyreformed in order to yield sustainable profits for their owners.
Plantations owned by households account for 38 percent of the total area oftimber plantations in the country, according to the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development.
The case of Ho Da The, a farmer in a mountainous commune in Phu Loc districtin the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, shows that forestation on barrenhills could be profitable for the growers.
“I have earned around 200 million VND (8,800 USD) on one hectare of theplantation since 2015,” he said. The added he started his planting in 2007thanks to a funding programme by World Bank.
According to a report by the Vietnam Academy for ForestSciences, the total area of plantations in Vietnam grew from one millionhectares in 1990 to 2.7 million hectares in 2005. The increase meant that thecountry’s plantation area is among the largest in the world.
The report also said the area has grown gradually since 2005 thanks toinnovation in policies for forestry development, including granting forest landto locals.
The country’s turnover from timber exports has enjoyed year-on-year increasessince 2008, with timber exploited from localities of HCM City, Binh Duong and Dong Nai in the south; Binh Dinh, Quang Tri and the Central Highlands in thecentral region; as well as Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang and Yen Bai in the north.
The localities consumed timber from plantations around the country to serve theproduction of woodchips, wood materials for mining, carpenter and constructionindustries.
Dr Vu Tan Phuong of the Academy for Forest Sciences said Vietnam is thebiggest exporter of woodchips in the world, but to maintain the position, thetimber sector needs to ensure the sustainability and profit growth of theplantations.
“The Government should have policies to foster the large timber plantations,using preferential loans, as well as facilitate the collaboration betweenhouseholds owning forest land and businesses working in timber processing andexport,” he said.
“The sector also needs to give proper incentives to those households andencourage them to stop harvesting early from the plantation,” said Phuong,adding that experts believe families should focus on growing large timber thatcan sell at a higher price but requires more time.
Experts at a workshop on the topic held in Hue city of ThuaThien-Hue recently agreed that large-timber cultivation is a keycomponent for the sustainable and profitable growth for household-ownedplantations.
Dr Bui Chinh Nghia of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry said one of thekeys was to educate farmers working in household-owned plantations about thebenefits of growing large timber. Preferential investment as well as technicalsupport would also be useful, he added.
Experts also suggested the formation of cooperatives involving householdsowning the plantations to assist them in the business.
Currently, the plantation sector is well supported with expertise frominternational organisations including FAO and Food and Forest DevelopmentFinland as well as local agencies of the Academy for Forest Sciences andVietnam Cooperatives Alliance.-VNA
Plantations owned by households account for 38 percent of the total area oftimber plantations in the country, according to the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development.
The case of Ho Da The, a farmer in a mountainous commune in Phu Loc districtin the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, shows that forestation on barrenhills could be profitable for the growers.
“I have earned around 200 million VND (8,800 USD) on one hectare of theplantation since 2015,” he said. The added he started his planting in 2007thanks to a funding programme by World Bank.
According to a report by the Vietnam Academy for ForestSciences, the total area of plantations in Vietnam grew from one millionhectares in 1990 to 2.7 million hectares in 2005. The increase meant that thecountry’s plantation area is among the largest in the world.
The report also said the area has grown gradually since 2005 thanks toinnovation in policies for forestry development, including granting forest landto locals.
The country’s turnover from timber exports has enjoyed year-on-year increasessince 2008, with timber exploited from localities of HCM City, Binh Duong and Dong Nai in the south; Binh Dinh, Quang Tri and the Central Highlands in thecentral region; as well as Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang and Yen Bai in the north.
The localities consumed timber from plantations around the country to serve theproduction of woodchips, wood materials for mining, carpenter and constructionindustries.
Dr Vu Tan Phuong of the Academy for Forest Sciences said Vietnam is thebiggest exporter of woodchips in the world, but to maintain the position, thetimber sector needs to ensure the sustainability and profit growth of theplantations.
“The Government should have policies to foster the large timber plantations,using preferential loans, as well as facilitate the collaboration betweenhouseholds owning forest land and businesses working in timber processing andexport,” he said.
“The sector also needs to give proper incentives to those households andencourage them to stop harvesting early from the plantation,” said Phuong,adding that experts believe families should focus on growing large timber thatcan sell at a higher price but requires more time.
Experts at a workshop on the topic held in Hue city of ThuaThien-Hue recently agreed that large-timber cultivation is a keycomponent for the sustainable and profitable growth for household-ownedplantations.
Dr Bui Chinh Nghia of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry said one of thekeys was to educate farmers working in household-owned plantations about thebenefits of growing large timber. Preferential investment as well as technicalsupport would also be useful, he added.
Experts also suggested the formation of cooperatives involving householdsowning the plantations to assist them in the business.
Currently, the plantation sector is well supported with expertise frominternational organisations including FAO and Food and Forest DevelopmentFinland as well as local agencies of the Academy for Forest Sciences andVietnam Cooperatives Alliance.-VNA
VNA
