President launches Tree Planting Festival to forever remember Uncle Ho

In the joyful and exciting atmosphere of the first days of the new year, this morning, President Tran Dai Quang attended the ceremony and beat the drum to launch the "Tree Planting Festival to forever remember Uncle Ho" Spring Mau Tuat 2018 organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in coordination with the People's Committee of Bac Kan province in Quan Binh commune, Bach Thong district, Bac Kan province.

According to the report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in 2017, despite many difficulties due to weather conditions, the whole country planted 235 thousand hectares of concentrated forests and over 60 million scattered trees; contracted the management and protection of 6.1 million hectares of forests; forest management and protection continued to change positively, the total number of violations of the Law on Forest Protection and Development decreased by 23%, the damaged forest area decreased by 68% compared to 2016; the export value of forest products reached nearly 8 billion USD; the policy of payment for forest environmental services continued to generate revenue of nearly 1,700 billion VND, creating conditions and encouraging people to participate in forest protection and socio-economic development.

With the achieved results, forestry has made an important contribution to the overall growth of the entire agricultural sector, creating more jobs, increasing income, improving people's lives and protecting the ecological environment.

Beating the drum to launch the Tree Planting Festival and speaking at the ceremony, President Tran Dai Quang stated that over the past 58 years, every time Tet comes, Spring returns, remembering and following Uncle Ho's teachings "Spring is the Tree Planting Festival, making the country more and more springy", people across the country organize the festival "Tree Planting Festival to forever remember Uncle Ho".

The President emphasized that Tet tree planting has become a good custom of our people during the happy days of Tet and welcoming Spring, bringing great results, actively contributing to environmental protection and socio-economic development of the country.

The President said that today, when the earth is warming, global climate change, rising sea levels, natural disasters, storms and floods are developing abnormally, causing more and more destruction, threatening human life, sustainable economic development combined with environmental protection has become an urgent requirement for every country. Tree planting, afforestation and forest protection are becoming increasingly important and strategic.

The President calls on all levels, sectors, localities, compatriots, comrades, elders, uncles, brothers, sisters, youths, and children nationwide, during the joyful days of Tet, welcoming the Spring of Mau Tuat 2018, to enthusiastically participate in planting trees, afforestation, planting fruit trees, timber trees, shade trees, windbreak trees, protecting river and sea dykes, preventing soil erosion, preventing salinity, preventing sand encroachment; planting protective forests, special-use forests, economic forests... suitable to the conditions of each locality; at the same time, raising awareness of forest protection, effectively preventing illegal logging, forest burning, and forest exploitation.

The President said that doing these things well is following the teachings of beloved Uncle Ho, contributing to economic development, hunger eradication, poverty reduction, improving people's quality of life, and protecting and preserving a sustainable living environment for today and future generations.

On this occasion, President Tran Dai Quang visited and offered incense to commemorate Uncle Ho at the Na Tu youth volunteer historical site in Cam Giang commune, Bach Thong district and presented gifts to former youth volunteers in difficult circumstances in Bac Kan province./.