vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn  

Massive afforestation project to push ahead

HA NOI — Viet Nam plans to increase its timber production and crack down on illegal logging and poaching in a new strategy which was outlined at the country’s National Assembly this week.

Answering voters’ petitions at the 11th National Assembly on Wednesday, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Huy Ngo said plans to increase the national afforestation programme by five million hectare would go ahead.

He said the Government pours about VND350 billion (US$22.6 million) into the programme every year but this year, due to threats of forest fire, it has boosted spending to VND375 billion ($24.3 million).

Ngo said more than VND100 billion will be spent on the protection of 2 million hectare of trees, another VND150 billion for planting new trees and the rest will go to reforestation.

To motivate people to plant new trees and maintain existing forest, the ministry has proposed four solutions.

The ministry wants the Government to increase its spending on afforestation from the current VND2.5 million to VND4 million per ha. Ngo said the money would be used to buy better quality seedlings to improve the quality of the wood produced.

It wants the Government to continue annual payments of VND50,000 per ha to locals who maintain the trees. The ministry is also advising the Government to allow farmers who look after trees to sell 20 per cent of trees in fully developed forests and 30 per cent of bamboo and rattant forest.

Thirdly, the Government should consider expanding its system of local people looking after forests. Pilot projects have already been implemented in Son La, Dac Lac, Lai Chau, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.

The ministries of agriculture and industry have helped paper mills expand their operations, and the agriculture ministry intends to upgrade small – and medium-sized mills to process more types of timber.

Ngo said progress had been made in preventing illegal logging and poaching, but many loopholes in the law were still hampering the ongoing efforts.

In the first four months of this year, forest rangers discovered 10,614 illegal activities, a 15 per cent decrease on the same period last year.

But Ngo warned more effort was needed to bring the number of violations down further.

The ministry plans to work with local authorities and forest rangers to build co-operation between the two in another effort to combat illegal logging and poaching.

A crackdown on border gates where trees and animals are smuggled through will also be undertaken, Ngo said, and tough punishments will be meted out to violators.

Fire prevention is also at the top of the ministry’s concerns, and Ngo outlined current measures being taken to prevent and fight fires.

Local authorities will be encouraged to establish fire prevention committees and co-operate with forest rangers, police and the army to fight fires.

Thanks to these efforts, Ngo said, the number of fires has decreased this year.

Only 330 cases of forest fires have been reported in the first five months of this year, representing a 73 per cent decrease on last year.

Ngo’s outline of the ministry’s afforestation plans arose during the Assembly’s question and answer session.

The minister was also asked about drought, sugarcane and consumption of agricultural produce.

A number of Assembly delegates voiced concern about the Government’s sugarcane programme.

The country’s 2002-03 sugar production reached 1.2 million tonnes, but local demand was only 1 million tonnes.

Seven delegates asked Ngo whether this situation had come about because of the ministry’s unwillingness to address excess supply.

Ngo said the ministry was due to begin an inspection tour of sugarcane zones in an attempt to ensure all factories are reaching at least 80 per cent of their designed capacity.

"Those mills which fail to meet the given target, we will reorganise or even close down," the minister said.

He also said the ministry, in collaboration with the Sugarcane Association, will devise a strategy for the industry which would include boosting exports.

The Assembly delegates also heard that many factories are making a loss. The Quang Nam, Son La and Kien Giang enterprises suffered the heaviest losses during the 2001-02 crop.

Delegates from Tien Giang and Thai Binh provinces questioned the minister what measures the ministry will take to encourage agro consumption through the contract system with the coalition of four partners including farmer – scientist – businessman – State.

The minister said that this year, enterprises have signed contracts to buy all farmer’ rice from around 1 million ha. Of which, 1 million is high-quality rice. Businesses also planned to purchase 50 per cent of tea, 20 per cent of coffee, 90 per cent of cotton and milk and 70 per cent of sugar outputs from farmers.

In addition, some foreign companies have also signed contracts to buy farmer’s agro products.

To stabilise the contract system between farmers and businesses, enterprises will provide loans, equipment for farmers and make public a fixed price for farmers early. However, farmers must committee to ensure the quantity and quality of products and harvesting schedule. Sale prices will be based upon market values.

Contracts between farmers and businesses are economic ones.

Therefore, implementation and violations handling must base on economic benefit and law.

The coalition of the four partners is an agreement on joint-venture and the co-operation between farmers and enterprises aimed to help farmers and raise competitive edge of agro products. — VNS