A furniture factory in Vietnam
Vietnam’s forestry sector is aiming for an export turnover of US$7.5Bn and a 6.6 per cent increase in production value this year, according to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan.
Addressing delegates at the Vietnam Administration of Forestry conference, Mr Tuan said that in the first half of 2017, Vietnam’s wood sector met its targets, which will help increase forest coverage to 41.45 per cent this year.
Vietnam’s forest production value grew 5.29 per cent during the January – June period. Export turnover of wood-based products rose 12.7 per cent compared to the same period last year to reach US$ 3.77 Bn. During this period, 40,612 hectares of alternative forests were planted, equivalent to 60 percent of the total area that needs to be covered.
However, he stressed that the sector still has challenges to overcome. Despite efforts to combat deforestation, over 1,000 hectares of forests were. Progress on alternative reforestation remains slow.
The relevant agencies will need to double up on efforts to deal with difficulties in forest production, as well as implement the target programme on sustainable forestry development from 2016 to 2020. A draft law on forest protection and development will also need to be firmed up with specific plans to grow alternative forests.
Vietnam is now Southeast Asia’s most active destination for wood products manufacturing. Furniture and flooring from the country are exported all over the world.
