Sustainable enrichment from bamboo and mulberry in Nghe An border district
(Baonghean.vn) - Along with developing bamboo and meter material areas in the 2021-2025 period, many villages in Tuong Duong district also restored native meter forests, creating a "double" effect, helping people increase their income and create solidarity in building movements in villages.
Restoring degraded mangrove forests
Tam Lien is the village with the largest area of meters planted in Tam Quang commune (Tuong Duong) with about 400 hectares. There are about 3 hectares of meters in the mountainous area right next to their house. Mr. Vi Van Thang and his wife, Luong Thi Bao, visit the meter forest every day.
On the hottest days, clearing bushes and fertilizing the “green treasure” is also an opportunity for farmers in Tam Lien village to cool off and “hide from the sun” thanks to the tree canopy.
Using his hand to measure the diameter of the meter tree in the garden of Mr. Vi Van Thang - Head of Tam Lien village, Vi Van Minh said that for more than 2 years now, meter trees have brought a stable source of income to the people. Meter trees with a diameter of 5-7cm cost about 10 thousand VND/tree, larger ones can be sold for 15-20 thousand VND/tree.
Ms. Luong Thi Bao further emphasized that the meter trees in Tam Lien were previously exploited naturally without fertilization, so they were degraded, stunted and slow to grow. Many households intended to stop exploiting and switch to planting other trees. However, thanks to the meter restoration project sponsored by the Global Environment Fund, people know how to care for and fertilize, so the native meter forest gradually became green again. From there, a steady source of income also returned to the people. With the method of exploiting and pruning trees, meter trees are harvested evenly throughout the year. Each hectare brings in an income of about 20 - 30 million VND/year.
Realizing the potential of planting meters, along with implementing the Project "Project to develop bamboo and meter material areas in Tuong Duong district in the period of 2021-2025", Mr. Quang Van Mao - Vice Chairman of Tam Quang Commune People's Committee said that the commune is currently encouraging people to invest in planting meters, both to develop the economy and to help complete the goal of afforestation.
By the end of 2023, Tam Quang's total forestation area will reach 366.06 hectares, of which 8.34 hectares will be newly planted. In particular, Tam Quang is continuing to implement phase 2 of the project "Replicating sustainable livelihood models from developing trees along the value chain to reduce pressure on biodiversity and forest ecosystem functions" (GEF4).
This is a project funded by the Global Environment Facility for 2 buffer zone communes of Pu Mat National Park, Tam Quang and Tam Hop of Tuong Duong district. Tam Quang commune has 5 villages benefiting from the project, including 4 villages: Tam Lien, Tam Bong, Son Ha, Bai Xa in phase 1 and phase 2 expanding the area of planting meters in Tam Huong village. Of which, Tam Lien village has the largest area with more than 400 hectares and Tam Bong village has more than 250 hectares... The GEF4 project supports fertilizers and funds for people to build protective fences, restore and plant new meters, of which 30% of the funds are used as revolving capital for households to invest in planting and caring for new trees.
The leader of Tam Quang commune also added that, along with implementing the GEF4 project, planting native meters, Tam Quang people are also planting Manh Tong meters on about 10 hectares. This is a new meter variety, with a larger trunk and longer meter internodes than the native meters, promising a yield 1-1.5 times higher than the native meters. In 2023, Tam Quang commune people exploited 936,900 meters, with an average price of 15,000 VND/tree, bringing in an income of nearly 15 billion VND for the planting households.
Mr. Lo Van Thanh - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tuong Duong District People's Committee said that the meter has a very fast growth rate, early exploitation age, can be exploited after 3 - 4 years of planting and has a fairly high yield of 4 - 12 tons/ha/year.
Developing cassia plantations in areas with suitable site conditions will provide stable raw materials for forest product processing factories in the province and serve construction and civil works. It is expected that cassia will be one of the main tree species in forest product export, contributing to the economic development of Tuong Duong district.
Raising awareness of forest protection and planting
Planting meters not only helps Tuong Duong people have a sustainable income, but also creates awareness of afforestation and forest protection for each community and each individual. In particular, in Na Tong village, the village executive committee and people continue to implement the model of "Community meter forest", which not only brings income to people, but also creates funds to build public works, and spreads awareness of forest protection to each individual. Na Tong village previously had about 3 hectares of natural meter forest that had existed for many years and people freely exploited it, without anyone taking care of it, so the trees became increasingly degraded, barren and underdeveloped.
Since the end of 2021, the Na Tong village executive committee has met to discuss and agree to implement the protection of the meter forest with the motto of the village joining hands. Accordingly, the Na Tong village executive committee has assigned households to take turns caring for, protecting and exploiting meter trees. The money from selling meters is divided into 2, half for the exploiters and the other half is contributed to the village's common fund. That common fund is used to build roads, canals, purchase items for community activities; visit funerals and support the care and protection of meter forests.
In a similar way, in Tam Lien village, Party Secretary Luong Sy Thoai said that the village has more than 45 hectares of community-protected and exploited mangrove forest. The exploitation of mangrove forest will be divided equally among households participating in forest protection, but priority will be given to households in difficult circumstances and poor households.
This model not only helps many households have a stable source of income, but also creates consensus and solidarity between the government and the people in building roads, maintaining collective movement activities to build cultural and beautiful villages, and together protect forests and effectively plant forests.
