Prospects of afforestation model to improve livelihoods in remote districts of Nghe An

This is a model deployed according to Decision No. 2561/QD-BNN-LN of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on approving the Plan "Supporting the development of agricultural and forestry economy in Ky Son district, Nghe An province to 2030".

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Truong - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ky Son district said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has just organized an assessment of the effectiveness of the forest planting model aiming at conserving water resources, neutralizing carbon and improving livelihoods after more than 2 months of implementation.

The models implemented in Pha Danh commune are sponsored by enterprises in collaboration with partners including the Forestry Department and the Center for Research on Non-Timber Forest Products.

According to Decision No. 2561/QD-BNN-LN of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on approving the Plan "Supporting the development of agricultural and forestry economy in Ky Son district, Nghe An province to 2030", phase 1 of the forest planting models aiming at water resource conservation, carbon neutrality and livelihood improvement in Ky Son district will be carried out from 2024 - 2028.

Accordingly, the planting of forests and medicinal plants under the forest canopy will officially be implemented from October 2024, including 2 types: Model of planting large native timber combined with non-timber forest products with an area of ​​5 hectares, planting large timber trees with a density of 833 trees/ha, planting non-timber forest products with a density of 1,100 trees/ha. And the model of enclosure and promotion of regeneration with additional planting of large native timber trees combined with non-timber forest products with an area of ​​10 hectares, large timber tree density of 400 trees/ha.

In Pha Danh commune, by December 2024, the trees had been planted for more than a month. They were gradually adapting to environmental conditions and growing well, with a high survival rate.

Evaluation of the results shows that the model of planting large native timber trees and promoting regeneration with additional planting of large native timber trees combined with non-timber forest products initially has a fairly high survival rate, has sprouted and taken root. If well cared for and protected in the following years, for green dổi trees after 10-12 years old, they can be harvested and sold. At this stage, the closed canopy of the tree also helps increase the protective function, increase the ability to store water and store carbon.

For flat oak trees, after 8 years they can bear fruit, helping to restore and increase regeneration density in the regeneration enclosure model, which is the stage of strong tree growth, contributing to increasing protection capacity, water storage and carbon storage. As for Morinda officinalis and Amomum officinalis, which have been planted in Pha Danh, after 3 years, if well cared for, they can be harvested at a price of about 150,000 VND/kg; Amomum officinalis 70,000 VND/kg, creating a significant amount of revenue to increase people's income.

Experts from the working group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that if properly applied, forest planting and regeneration promotion models will help households participating in forest planting to both earn income and improve their livelihoods, while also increasing the ecological value of the forest and improving the efficiency of forest land use. At the same time, they will meet environmental requirements, ensuring greater economic, social and ecological sustainability in the future./.