Developing large timber plantations: Strategic solution to bring Vietnamese wood...

On September 30, in Gia Lai province, the National Agricultural Extension Center coordinated with specialized units to organize a workshop on "Developing large timber plantations with sustainable management certification, meeting EUDR requirements" to find solutions to help Vietnamese wood products overcome strict barriers of the European market.

In the context of the EU Deforestation-Free Regulation ( EUDR ) officially taking effect from June 2023, requiring all wood products exported to the European market to prove that they do not cause deforestation after December 31, 2020, fully comply with the law and can be traced to each forest lot, the Vietnamese forestry industry is facing great opportunities and challenges.

Accordingly, large enterprises will have to comply with EUDR from the end of December 2025, while small and medium enterprises will apply by the end of June 2026. This is considered a "passport" for Vietnamese wood products to sustainably penetrate high-end and demanding markets such as the EU.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Hoang Van Hong, Deputy Director of the National Agricultural Extension Center, emphasized: “Developing large timber plantations associated with sustainable certification is not only an economic requirement, but also a key factor in establishing the position of Vietnam's forestry industry in the international market. If fully meeting regulations and being recognized by the EU, it will be a golden opportunity for Vietnamese wood products to expand to many other markets outside the EU.”

In fact, with a planted forest area of more than 4.7 million hectares, Vietnam has only about 680,000 hectares certified for sustainable forest management, equivalent to nearly 15%. Of which, over 90% of the planted forest area is owned by small households. The conversion from small timber plantations to large timber plantations, which have long cycles and high technical requirements, causes difficulties for people both financially and professionally.

To date, Vietnam has only about 680,000 hectares certified for sustainable forest management.

Mr. Dang Van Ba, a forest farmer in Gia Lai with 5 hectares of hybrid acacia, shared: "People are not familiar with perennial crops, so we really hope to receive legal and technical advice. That is what we most desire when we want to switch to growing large timber forests."

Gia Lai currently has 650,000 hectares of forest, of which planted forests account for about 171,000 hectares. However, the whole province has only more than 12,000 hectares of forest certified for sustainable forest management. Mr. Nguyen Van Hoan, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Gia Lai province, said: "We have a plan to convert small timber forests into large timber forests. With the vacant land area, the province creates conditions for businesses to rent land to plant production forests. However, the big difficulty is the long production and business cycle, requiring long-term capital."

At the workshop, delegates affirmed that to overcome the technical barriers of EUDR, there needs to be the cooperation of "four houses": State-Scientists-Businesses-Farmers. In which, the role of the State is to create a legal corridor, preferential credit policies and technical support; Scientists provide processes and techniques for planting large timber forests; Businesses participate in chain linkage and product consumption; and farmers are the direct implementing force.

Experts also proposed supporting the cost of granting sustainable forest certification to people, organizing training on large timber plantation techniques, and mobilizing international resources to replicate the model. In particular, it is necessary to build a traceability system, planting area codes, and determine forest plot coordinates to ensure transparency and meet the strict requirements of the European market.

PHUC THANG

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/phat-trien-rung-trong-go-lon-giai-phap-chien-luoc-dua-go-viet-vuon-xa-thi-truong-chau-au-393910.html