Spring reforestation efforts

(Baonghean) - Taking advantage of favorable weather conditions, localities throughout the province are actively planting spring forests and scattered trees. To date, the entire province has planted approximately over 3,200 hectares of forest, and it is expected that spring forest planting will be completed by the end of March 2015.

Recognizing that afforestation is an effective way to develop the economy, the Party committee, government, and people of Bai Son (Do Luong) actively participate in the annual afforestation plan.

Mr. Thai Dinh Loi, Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, said: “This year, the commune planted over 100 hectares of concentrated raw material forest and 25 hectares under Project 147. Immediately after receiving the plan, we issued documents guiding the hamlets to organize households to register for forest planting and scattered tree planting. At the same time, we guided the people on forest planting techniques, urged them to clear undergrowth, dig holes, and conduct preliminary site inspections before the Lunar New Year. To date, the entire commune has planted over 20 hectares of forest, and we are striving to plant over 70 hectares of forest this spring.”

The hybrid acacia nursery of Do Luong Forestry Company Limited.

We visited Huong Son hamlet (Bai Son commune), where the spring reforestation movement is quite lively. Mr. Nguyen Huu Long, who was actively spreading acacia seedlings into holes with his family, said: “My family registered to plant 1.5 hectares of hybrid acacia cuttings. The most arduous work is still digging holes for planting. Some reforestation projects have been delayed because we couldn't dig the holes in time. This year, my family hired an excavator to dig the holes. Digging with the machine only takes one day, whereas previously it took three laborers over 10 days to complete. Digging holes with a machine has the advantage of reducing labor and following the technical procedures more closely. To date, we have planted 0.8 hectares, and in about 7 days we will plant the rest of the area using intensive farming methods to increase productivity. Previously, we planted without fertilizer, but now, following the guidance of officials at all levels, we apply 0.2 kg of bio-fertilizer per tree…”

Mr. Nguyen Huu Hung's family in Bai Son commune also introduced machinery into production, so the preparation of the planting site was completed early. He hired 5 laborers to plant 1.8 hectares of forest in the past 4 days, and expects to complete planting 2.5 hectares of hybrid acacia in about 4 days. To facilitate the planting work, from the beginning of the season, the villages mobilized manpower to maintain and repair the supply roads, creating favorable conditions for transporting fertilizers and seedlings to the site.

Mr. Phan Hong Tien, Director of Do Luong Forestry Company Limited, said: According to the provincial target, in 2015, the company was assigned to plant over 600 hectares of forest, including 300 hectares of forest under Project 147 and 40 hectares of protective forest, with the remaining forest planted by the company using its own capital.

For the forest plantation area under Project 147, spanning the communes of Thuong Son, Lam Son, Hong Son, Bai Son, Dong Son, etc., local people have planted nearly 200 hectares. Previously, there was often a shortage of seedlings, but now, thanks to the improvement and upgrading of the nursery, this year the company has produced over 1.5 million seedlings of various types (mainly acacia cuttings and foreign acacia seeds), ensuring supply for reforestation throughout Do Luong district and neighboring districts.

Replant new trees.

Meanwhile, Song Hieu Forestry and Agriculture Company Limited (Quy Hop district) is actively implementing reforestation across the districts of Quy Hop, Quy Chau, and Que Phong… Specifically in sub-area 249 of Nghia Mai commune, managed by Nghia Dan Forestry Station, workers are taking advantage of favorable weather to plant trees. According to the target, the unit will plant 200 hectares of forest, including 100 hectares in the spring planting season.

Mr. Ho Dinh The, Director of Song Hieu Forestry and Agriculture Company Limited, said: “In 2015, the company planted over 650 hectares of forest, of which 100 hectares were under Project 147, and the remaining 450 hectares were planted by the company. To facilitate the planting work, from the beginning of the year, the company mobilized 16 excavators and bulldozers, and maintained and repaired hundreds of kilometers of access roads to facilitate the transportation of planting materials. To date, 100% of the area has had its planting holes dug, and over 40 hectares of acacia trees have been planted.”

Unlike other localities that usually focus on planting forests in the spring and autumn, the company focuses on planting forests in the spring and summer, starting after the Lunar New Year and ending in August 2015. To plant intensive forests, the unit invests 15 million VND/ha, which includes the cost of seedlings, fertilizer, and care. In 2015, the company built a model for planting Australian hybrid acacia on over 200 hectares. Economically, planting Australian hybrid acacia after about 10 years yields 180-250 m3 of wood/ha, 2-3 times higher than current planted forests.

In 2015, according to the plan, the entire province planted over 7,500 hectares of forest under projects 147, JICA projects, etc. In addition, people and businesses invested their own capital to plant over 7,500 hectares, bringing the total area of ​​raw material forests to over 15,000 hectares. Specifically, 4,200 hectares were planted in the spring, with the remainder planted in the autumn. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development directed agricultural and forestry units to supply over 20 million seedlings of various types to people for reforestation. The Department established a team to strengthen inspection and supervision of seed production and business activities at nurseries to improve seed quality. Strict action was taken against violations in the field of forestry seeds, aiming to create a healthy production and supply of good quality seeds for forest planters.

To date, the province has planted approximately over 3,200 hectares of forest, with the spring planting season expected to be completed by the end of March 2015. This year, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has directed the planting of about 30% of the area with imported acacia (Australian acacia) to reduce the use of acacia for wood chips and increase the planting of large timber acacia to enhance economic value per unit area. However, planting large timber forests still faces many difficulties such as: long planting time, large investment capital, and limited techniques for planting and caring for large timber trees, thus not attracting many households to participate. Furthermore, farmers currently face difficulties in accessing capital, leading to limited investment, and some localities still practice "barebone" planting without fertilizer, resulting in low efficiency.

King Tran