Raw material forests collapsed causing damage of more than 350 billion VND

(Baonghean.vn) - After storm No. 2, many raw material forests in the province were broken, causing heavy damage.

The raw material forest of Mr. Nguyen Xuan Lam's family in Lam Nghiep hamlet, Hoa Son commune, Do Luong was destroyed by storm No. 2, covering more than 10 hectares. Photo: Van Truong.

At this time, in Lam Nghiep hamlet, Hoa Son commune, Do Luong, people are actively collecting broken acacia trees to sell to traders. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Lam in Lam Nghiep hamlet shared: His family's 10-hectare acacia forest was planted in association with Do Luong Forestry Company, is 7 years old, and will have high economic value in about 3 years. Unexpectedly, the storm broke almost 100% of the area. If it was old enough to be exploited, it would reach 120 million VND/ha, equivalent to 1.2 billion VND. Now, the broken trees are forced by traders to sell at only 300 million VND/10 ha.

Mr. Phan Hong Tien, Director of Do Luong Forestry Company, said: Storm No. 2 caused severe damage, breaking 886.4 hectares of raw material forests, causing damage of about 22 billion VND, concentrated in the communes of Hoa Son, My Son, Bai Son... The company invested in planting, and people protected and cared for them. After the storm, the unit mobilized forces to clean up fallen trees, but the current difficulty is that many raw material forests do not have roads, making it very difficult to clean up and sell acacia to traders. Not to mention that selling young broken acacia trees at a very cheap price, usually 1.1 million VND/ton of acacia, now it is only sold for 600,000 VND/ton of acacia.

Acacia forests collapsed en masse in Nghi Lam, Nghi Loc. Photo: Van Truong.

In Nghi Loc, more than 200 hectares of pure acacia forest from 3-5 years old were broken, causing damage of over 7 billion VND (mainly acacia planted jointly between Nghi Loc Protective Forest Management Board and local people), mainly in Nghi Van, Nghi Kieu, Nghi Lam communes... A representative of Nghi Loc Protective Forest Management Board said: We have asked for the opinion of the relevant authorities to collect and liquidate damaged forests with reserves to reduce some of the damage to forest growers. We hope that all levels will consider supporting damaged forest areas without reserves that the unit and workers have spent a long time planting and caring for.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Lam, Head of the Forest Use and Development Department, Forest Protection Department said: Storm No. 2 has broken over 7,000 hectares of acacia trees aged 3-7 years, causing an estimated damage of 50 million VND/ha, total damage of over 350 billion VND. The districts with heavy damage include Do Luong, Nghi Loc, Yen Thanh, Quynh Luu. We are preparing liquidation records, creating exploitation records for forestry units and forest growers. At the same time, creating conditions for people to clean up the broken areas, because if we do not clean up in time, fallen branches can easily cause forest fires.

The current difficulty is the consumption stage, some places are forced to buy at low prices by private traders, many places do not have forestry roads to transport broken acacia. After the storm, the damage to forestry is not small, the government needs to have policies to support forest growers.

Van Truong