 |
| At the meeting__Photo: VNA |
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang chaired a meeting of the Council tasked with reviewing the National Forestry Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050, in Hanoi on June 14.
It is one of the four national sectoral plans formulated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The planning came as Vietnam's forests face complex challenges. While the total forest area is increasing, the quality of forests is a major concern. Currently, only a small portion (8.7 percent) of natural forests are considered high-quality, with the majority (66.5 percent) classified as poor. Additionally, forest plantations are not producing enough wood to meet growing domestic and export demands. Climate change and frequent natural disasters further threaten Vietnam's forestry resources.
Under the draft plan, Vietnam aims to have over 15.8 million ha of forests and forestry land by 2030. This includes 15.5 percent allocated for special use forests, 33 percent for protective forests, and 51.5 percent for production forests. The goal is to maintain national forest coverage between 42-43 percent while significantly enhancing the quality of existing natural forests.
Specific targets include an annual forestry production growth rate of 5-5.5 percent, planting an average of 238,000 ha of production forests each year, and restoring 22,500 ha of natural forests annually. By 2030, the plan expects over 1 million ha of forests to be certified for sustainable management.
The export value of wood and forestry products is projected to reach USD 20 billion by 2025 and USD 25 billion by 2030. Domestic consumption is also expected to rise to USD 5 billion by 2025 and USD 6 billion by 2030. Revenue from forest environmental services is anticipated to grow by 5 percent annually, with total earnings estimated at VND 3.5 trillion (USD 145.8 million) annually from 2021-25, and VND 4 trillion from 2026-30.
The ministry estimated that achieving these goals will require over VND 217.3 trillion in capital, with about VND 107 trillion needed for 2021-25 phase.
Deputy Prime Minister Quang underlined the importance of accurate data on forest land, careful review and feedback from relevant ministries, agencies and localities to ensure the plan's effectiveness.- (VNA/VLLF)
