The President of Vietnam launched the 2013 Tree Planting Festival.

On February 18th, at the Ho Chuoi Fort historical site in Phon Xuong commune, Yen The district, Bac Giang province - the former base of the Yen The Uprising - the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in coordination with Bac Giang province, organized the launching ceremony of the 2013 Tree Planting Festival in commemoration of President Ho Chi Minh.

President Truong Tan Sang, along with other Party and State leaders, attended and launched the Tree Planting Festival.

The President of Vietnam launched the Tree Planting Festival.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Truong Tan Sang analyzed the practical benefits of tree planting for the country, families, and each citizen. The President affirmed: Responding to President Ho Chi Minh's call, from 1959 to the present, the Tree Planting Festival has become a beautiful custom and tradition during the joyful Tet holiday and the welcoming of Spring. Today, with the impact of global climate change threatening human life, protecting the environment for sustainable economic development has become a vital requirement for all nations, making tree planting even more important.

The President called on all citizens nationwide to enthusiastically participate in tree planting, raise awareness, and take concrete and practical measures to protect forests, prevent deforestation, forest fires, and illegal logging; contributing to economic development, poverty reduction, improving people's income and quality of life, and preserving the living environment.

Together with representatives of the government, departments, organizations, and a large number of people from Yen The district, Bac Giang province, the President planted a tree at the Ho Chuoi Fort historical site; offered incense at the Yen The Uprising historical site, commemorating the contributions of hero Hoang Hoa Tham and the heroic martyrs who came to Phon Xuong to raise the banner of rebellion that lasted for 30 years, typical of the resistance movement against French colonialism by Vietnamese peasants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Extending New Year greetings to the Party Committee, government, and people of Bac Giang province, the President expressed his wish that Bac Giang would become a leading example nationwide in the agricultural movement, tree planting, forest protection, and new rural development. Sharing in the difficulties and challenges that Bac Giang province has overcome in the past year, and the tasks that need to be focused on in the new year, the President emphasized: The Bac Giang Provincial Party Committee needs to unite, leverage its advantages, and mobilize social resources to urgently address pressing issues.

The President also expressed confidence that Bac Giang province would continue to perform its socio-economic tasks well, especially working together with the whole country to effectively implement Central Resolution 4, contributing to achieving and surpassing the targets of the Party's 11th Congress Resolution.

According to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in recent years, the country has planted 2,450,000 hectares of forest; annually contracted to protect approximately 2.5 million hectares of forest; and regenerated nearly 1.3 million hectares through enclosure and cultivation, increasing forest cover from 32% in 1998 to 40% in 2011. Vietnam is one of the few countries in Asia that has rapidly increased its forest area.

In 2012, despite the challenging global and domestic economic situation, thanks to the efforts of the entire society, the forestry sector continued to develop and achieved outstanding results: forestry production value increased by 6.4%; forestry product exports exceeded the plan and reached the highest level ever with a turnover of over 4.8 billion USD; and forest cover reached 40%.

Despite the achievements, the implementation of forest protection and development policies in many localities remains slow; mobilizing capital and securing loans for production forest planting by businesses is difficult. Some localities have not proactively integrated investment resources and still rely on the central government budget. Forests are still being illegally cut down, causing public concern. The restructuring and enhancement of the value of commercial forest products have been initially identified but have not been implemented comprehensively, failing to create significant changes in practice.

According to (VNA) - LT