Hybrid acacia seedlings for autumn reforestation in Nghe An are in short supply.

Shortage of acacia seedlings

In Quang Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, local people are planting trees in the autumn forest, however, some households are lacking seedlings.

Ms. Tran Thi Minh, an acacia farmer in Quang Thanh commune, said: "My family has just finished harvesting over 1.5 hectares of acacia trees. We have cleared the undergrowth and dug holes for planting, but we have only planted about 1 hectare so far. We haven't been able to buy seedlings for the remaining area."

Ms. Minh further shared: "Our family usually buys acacia cuttings from reputable production facilities such as Do Luong Forestry Company, at a price of nearly 1,000 VND per plant. However, due to high demand, seedlings are scarce."

Mr. Phan Duc Tien, Chairman of the Quang Thanh Commune People's Committee, said: The commune has over 850 hectares of acacia trees, with 200 hectares replanted annually. Due to the high price of acacia last year and the short harvesting cycle of 3 years per crop, the area replanted this year is over 250 hectares (an increase of more than 50 hectares). Currently, farmers mainly buy acacia seedlings from unregulated sources, brought in by traders from Binh Dinh and Lang Son provinces, and the commune cannot inspect or control the quality of the seedlings. Some areas of seedlings planted in the last autumn reforestation season showed signs of yellowing leaves and wilting. The commune advises farmers to buy acacia seedlings from reputable and high-quality suppliers to ensure good growth..

Yen Thanh District has over 19,000 hectares of acacia forests for timber production, with over 2,000 hectares newly planted annually. The communes have already planted over 1,300 hectares of forest, and over 700 hectares are awaiting seedlings. The district advises people to purchase seedlings from reputable, licensed establishments, such as the Yen Thanh Protective Forest Management Board and forestry companies in the province.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Director of the Yen Thanh District Protective Forest Management Board, said: "The unit currently has two nurseries in Yen Thanh town and Xuan Thanh commune, producing over 2 million seedlings annually. In the autumn season alone, we produce over 1.2 million seedlings to serve the people of Yen Thanh district. Seeing the benefits of purchasing high-quality seedlings, people buy a lot during the reforestation season, and the unit cannot meet the demand."

The Do Luong Forestry One-Member Limited Company currently has a nursery in Hoa Son commune, producing over 2.5 million acacia seedlings annually to serve farmers in Do Luong district and neighboring communes in Yen Thanh district. This autumn alone, the company produced over 1.3 million seedlings at 1,000 VND per seedling, 400-500 VND higher than seedlings sold in other provinces. However, demand remains high, overwhelming the company and preventing it from meeting the needs of forest planters.

The acacia seedlings here are mainly cuttings, produced according to proper technical procedures, with quality control and supervision by relevant authorities from the seed stage to the production process and before being sold at the nursery.

Product diversification, seedling quality control.

Tan Huong commune (Tan Ky district) is the capital of acacia seedling production, and at this time, farmers are selling everything they produce. Mr. Nguyen Ba Dai from Tan Minh hamlet, Tan Huong commune, said: "In the past two weeks, my family has sold over 100,000 hybrid acacia seedlings propagated from cuttings for reforestation in the autumn season at prices ranging from 650-700 VND per seedling. Currently, my family is continuing to prepare seedlings for production to serve other farmers."

Mr. Le Duc Thuyen, Chairman of the Tan Huong Commune People's Committee, said: "In the Spring of 2024, the demand for acacia seedlings was low due to the hot weather, which reduced the number of seedlings people bought for reforestation. However, in the Autumn season, the villagers sold over 40 million seedlings, and production couldn't keep up with demand. Currently, nearly 200 households in the commune participate in acacia seedling cultivation, producing over 60 million seedlings annually for sale in Nghe An and neighboring provinces."

To avoid a surplus of acacia seedlings that are difficult to sell, the commune encourages people to plan and produce acacia seedlings for sale according to the forest planting season, prioritizing seedlings for the autumn crop, and reducing the quantity of acacia seedlings produced during the hot summer months.

Tan Ky district currently has over 200 establishments specializing in producing acacia seedlings in Tan Huong and Nghia Hanh communes, annually producing approximately 75 million acacia seedlings. To develop acacia seedling production sustainably, the district advises people to diversify products, increase investment in producing high-quality acacia cuttings, and limit the use of seeds for acacia propagation.

According to a report from the Forest Protection Department, the province currently has over 15 units producing and trading acacia seedlings, mainly forestry companies and protective forest management boards (with business registration licenses), producing 15-20 million forestry seedlings of various types annually. However, there are still limitations regarding forestry seedlings in Nghe An province.

To ensure the quality of seedlings, the Forest Protection Department recommends that localities further strengthen the management of seedling production and trading, strictly manage all stages of the production chain; and educate people about using good quality seeds with clear origins...