Towards 'multi-purpose' use for the Met tree in Con Cuong.

NET PROFIT OF 15-20 MILLION VND/HA

Mr. Loc Van Ngoan, from Bai Gao village (Chau Khe commune), harvests bamboo. Photo: Thanh Phuc

The family of Mr. Loc Van Ngoan (Bai Gao village, Chau Khe commune, Con Cuong district) owns more than 1 hectare of land.planting metersWith current market prices, his family earns about 25-30 million VND per hectare per year, and after deducting expenses, the net profit is around 15-20 million VND.

Mr. Ngoan said: “The bamboo is a perennial plant, so once planted, it can be harvested for 40-50 years. It requires little care and can be harvested in multiple cycles throughout the year. In recent years, the price of bamboo has increased, and traders buy it directly from the farmers, so people are very enthusiastic about planting and caring for it.”

After harvesting, the bamboo is bought up directly by traders. Photo: Thanh Phuc

With 7 hectares of land dedicated to planting, cultivating, and protecting the bamboo, Mr. Lo Van Tiep's family (Khe Ran village, Bong Khe commune) earns approximately 150-200 million VND annually from this raw material. Thanks to the bamboo, he has been able to build a house and purchase modern conveniences. In addition to selling bamboo, he also sells bamboo shoots, further improving his family's economic situation.

Previously, bamboo was grown in small, scattered plots, primarily for weaving by individual households. However, now, alongside the protection and conservation of existing areas, bamboo is being cultivated on a large scale, planned into designated zones, and becoming a major raw material source.

The bamboo plant, used as a raw material, is becoming a key cash crop in many localities of Con Cuong district. Photo: Thanh Phuc

The entire Con Cuong district has over 3,000 hectares of bamboo planted, distributed across 11 communes, mainly concentrated in Chau Khe, Bong Khe, Chi Khe, Binh Chuan, Lang Khe, Luc Da… and has become the main crop in these localities.

Mr. Lo Van Ly, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Con Cuong district, said: "Con Cuong has the largest area of ​​bamboo in Nghe An province with over 3,000 hectares, harvesting about 1.5 million bamboo trees annually, generating tens of billions of dong in income. The economic efficiency of bamboo is 3-4 times higher than that of acacia trees. In addition, bamboo also helps protect the soil and prevent erosion and landslides."

CREATING HANDICRAFT PRODUCTS FOR EXPORT

Many handicrafts made from bamboo are gaining popularity in the market. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Currently, the bamboo tree has become a valuable raw material for the rattan and bamboo weaving industry; it is also used as a raw material for paper, construction projects, and industrial art... Therefore, the value of the bamboo tree is constantly increasing.

In the areaCon Cuong district,Besides traditional rattan and bamboo weaving villages, there are also businesses and workshops that utilize locally available bamboo as raw material, which is popular in the market. Some products have been exported abroad, creating opportunities to enhance the value of bamboo, helping people feel secure in their production and creating sustainable livelihoods from planting and protecting forests.

"MULTI-PURPOSE" FROM THE METER FOREST

Currently, people in some communes are boldly experimenting with planting new bamboo varieties to replace the old bamboo species. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Thai Ba Tien, the owner of a business specializing in producing products from bamboo, said: “Previously, people were planting bamboo spontaneously, without planning or proper techniques, resulting in high density, slow growth, substandard size and shape, and difficulty in harvesting. Some bamboo varieties also had low yields. Each year, our company guarantees and collaborates with farmers to purchase about 500,000 bamboo plants.”

Currently, we are conducting a trial planting of 2 hectares of new bamboo varieties, providing seedlings to local people for trial planting. If the yield is high and the quality is good, we will proceed to replace the degraded bamboo groves. This will not only create a sustainable raw material area but also aim to develop eco-tourism and community tourism from bamboo forests.”