The issue of "stalled" and inefficient timber raw material area planning needs to be resolved definitively.

Many development plans are stalled, and businesses are not fulfilling their commitments.

On May 15, 2025, the Department of Agriculture and Environment issued Decision No. 235/QD-SNNMT.KHTC to organize a comprehensive survey and review of the implementation of commitments by investors after being assigned the planning of timber and non-timber forest product raw material areas.

According to the Forestry Planning Survey Team's report, the province currently has 8 investors assigned by the Provincial People's Committee to plan timber and non-timber forest product raw material areas, including: Tan Viet Trung Artificial Wood Panel Joint Stock Company, Na No Architecture and Interior Design Joint Stock Company, Thang Nam Forestry Joint Stock Company, Viet Investment and Real Estate Joint Stock Company, Thanh Phat Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company, Biomass Fuel Limited Company, Nghe An MDF Wood Joint Stock Company, and Tuan Loc Investment Joint Stock Company (now Thanh Chuong BVN Joint Stock Company). The total area of ​​timber raw material areas assigned by the Provincial People's Committee to these 8 companies is 196,920.94 hectares (including 22,502.37 hectares of degraded natural forest; 110,968.21 hectares of planted forest; 54,997.81 hectares of barren forest land; and 8,821.34 hectares of other forest land).

The review results show that some investors have completely failed to fulfill the tasks assigned by the Provincial People's Committee, or have fulfilled them incompletely and ineffectively.

Notably, the case of Tan Viet Trung Artificial Wood Panel Joint Stock Company is noteworthy. This enterprise was assigned a wood raw material area plan under Decision No. 2535/QD-UBND dated August 1, 2005, covering 1,500 hectares in the former districts of Quy Hop, Quy Chau, and Nghia Dan. This area was subsequently expanded by an additional 5,182.4 hectares in the former districts of Dien Chau, Nam Dan, Nghi Loc, and Yen Thanh under Decision No. 1252/QD-UBND dated April 10, 2013. However, to date, the company has not implemented the approved contents, such as joint ventures and partnerships with forest owners; has not invested in or supported the development of the raw material area; and has not built infrastructure to support production, such as access roads, firebreaks, and watchtowers.

Similarly, Na No Architecture and Interior Design Joint Stock Company was assigned to plan a raw material area of ​​4,592.6 hectares in the former Que Phong district according to Decision No. 497/QD-UBND dated January 27, 2014. However, to date, this enterprise has not completed the land lease procedures; has not implemented forest protection and development work; and has not built infrastructure within the planned area.

Not only are there cases of "not doing it," but many businesses, even after implementing it, have achieved limited results.

The Thang Nam Forestry Joint Stock Company was assigned by the Provincial People's Committee to plan a raw material area of ​​43,973.5 hectares according to Decision No. 3021/QD-UBND dated June 30, 2014, and 21,693.34 hectares according to Decision No. 2242/QD-UBND dated June 18, 2018. However, to date, the enterprise has only built a factory producing MDF fiberboard with a capacity of 130,000 m³ and laminated wood panels with a capacity of 12,000 m³, and has not yet implemented the assigned tasks regarding land lease, joint ventures, partnerships with forest owners, raw material area development, and infrastructure construction.

For Biomass Fuel Co., Ltd., in 2023, it was assigned to develop raw material areas totaling 28,849.47 hectares in the former districts of Con Cuong, Thanh Chuong, Tuong Duong, Do Luong, Tan Ky, Nghi Loc, Hung Nguyen, and Anh Son. To date, the company has only provided seedlings, technical training, and maintained forest certification (FSC/PEFC) on an area of ​​1,755.51 hectares; it has not yet established joint ventures or partnerships with forest owners on the entire assigned area.

For example, Thanh Chuong Forestry Joint Stock Company, which was allocated 35,754 hectares, has only implemented projects on 12,713.38 hectares so far, mainly focusing on propaganda, training, forest certification, and technical support for households.

The remaining businesses, although they have implemented the plan, have achieved incomplete results and low efficiency compared to the allocated area. This reality shows that a large portion of the raw material area has been planned but not implemented synchronously, leading to a waste of forest land resources.

Proposal for adjustment or cancellationineffective planning

Based on the review results, the Forestry Planning Survey Team proposed three groups of solutions. Among them, for Tan Viet Trung Artificial Board Joint Stock Company and Na No Architecture and Interior Design Joint Stock Company, because they failed to fulfill their assigned tasks and the planning has expired, it is proposed that a notice be issued stating the expiration of the planning implementation period.

For businesses such as Vietnam Financial and Real Estate Investment Joint Stock Company, Thanh Phat Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company, Thang Nam Forestry Joint Stock Company, and BVN Thanh Chuong Joint Stock Company, it is proposed to review the area and tasks and announce the cancellation of planned but unutilized raw material areas.

For Nghe An MDF Wood Joint Stock Company, the requirement is to continue to effectively manage, protect, and develop forests according to the approved plan; for the leased area, continue to manage and utilize it in accordance with the Land Law, the Forestry Law, and related guiding documents; and at the same time, consider adjusting and reducing the scale of the raw material area.

In the case of Biosmass Fuel Co., Ltd., it is required to continue carrying out joint ventures and partnerships with forest owners and fulfilling the tasks assigned by the Provincial People's Committee within the raw material area.

According toDepartment of Agriculture and EnvironmentTherefore, reviewing and adjusting the raw material area plans is necessary to ensure compliance with the National Forestry Plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, as stipulated in Decision No. 895/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister.

Point b, Clause 6, Article 2 of this Decision also clearly states the requirement to review and adjust plans, projects, and programs in the area to ensure consistency and uniformity; and at the same time, update relevant contents currently being implemented, in accordance with the forestry development orientation in the locality.

Given the reality that many timber and non-timber forest product raw material area plans in the province have not been fully implemented, affecting the development of the forestry economy, in May 2025, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment to accurately assess the current situation and propose solutions in accordance with the law.

Based on the report of the Forestry Planning Survey Team, the Department has approved the inspection results. However, the Department is assigning relevant units to continue reviewing and re-evaluating the raw material area plans, working with investors to propose to the Provincial People's Committee to consider issuing notices to terminate the plans that have expired, and adjusting the plans that are still in effect in accordance with the law.

Thus, the fact that many timber and non-timber forest product raw material area plans are not fully implemented or are ineffective reveals limitations. It is necessary to review and decisively address these issues, avoiding the situation of "suspended" plans or half-hearted implementation, which wastes forest land resources and negatively impacts the province's forestry economic development orientation.