The benefits of extending the mining cycle.
Amidst the vast acacia forests of Mai Son village, Mr. Le Van Doan's family is one of the households applying a reforestation method that extends the harvesting cycle to increase the value of the product.
Mr. Doan said that in 2003, when he started planting trees, his family's economic situation was very difficult. With an area of about 10 hectares of planted forest, his family went through many production cycles. Through experience, Mr. Doan realized that harvesting trees too early, while helping to recover capital quickly, was not very economically efficient. Therefore, he decided to extend the growth cycle of the trees to increase the value of the product.
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| Mr. Le Van Doan (standing in the middle), from Ba Long commune, shares his experience in developing large timber forests - Photo: LA |
According to Mr. Doan, for conventionally planted forests, harvesting after about 3-4 years of planting only yields a profit of about 50 million VND per hectare. However, if the cycle is extended to about 6 years, the trees grow larger, the proportion of standard timber and round timber increases significantly, resulting in much higher economic value.
“To achieve high yields, you need to pay close attention to proper planting techniques and density. If planted too densely, the trees won't grow well and will only be suitable for short-term harvesting. However, if you have the conditions to allow the trees to grow longer, the yield can almost double. Currently, with a cycle of about 6 years, each hectare of my family can yield about 100 million VND after deducting expenses,” Mr. Doan said.
The economic benefits from forestry have gradually stabilized his family's life. From being in difficult circumstances, thanks to their perseverance in forestry, his family has been able to accumulate enough money to build a spacious house. "In 2022, my family built a new house with a cost of nearly 1 billion VND. That is the result of many years of saving from forestry," Mr. Doan said.
A new direction for forestry economics.
Mr. Nguyen Truong, Deputy Head of the Economic Department of Ba Long Commune, said that the model of Mr. Le Van Doan's family is one of the typical models proving effective in the area. While many households usually harvest their forests after 3-4 years, Mr. Doan's family boldly extended the growth period of the trees. As a result, about 35% of the yield is standard timber, large timber with higher value. If harvested early, the profit would only be about 50 million VND/ha, but with Mr. Doan's method, the profit reaches over 100 million VND/ha. This reality shows the great potential of developing large timber forests in the area.
According to Mr. Truong, besides the economic benefits of the model, extending the cycle and developing large-timber forest plantations also contributes to increasing forest cover, limiting soil erosion, and creating a stable source of raw materials for the wood processing industry.
Ba Long commune currently has approximately 2,500 hectares of planted production forest. This is an important resource contributing to local economic development. However, the majority of the area is still being harvested using short-term crops, resulting in low returns. To capitalize on this existing advantage, the locality is preparing to promote the development of large-timber forests in the near future. Currently, the commune is collaborating with a consulting firm to review, measure, and re-plan the forest land area to build a database for management and production development; simultaneously, it is proposing funding sources to support people in converting to large-timber forest planting models, especially for poor and near-poor households.
"In the immediate future, during the period 2026-2030, Ba Long commune plans to plant approximately 300 hectares of large timber forest. This is considered an important step to gradually change production practices and increase the economic value of the same area of forest land," Mr. Truong informed.
LA
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202606/day-manh-phat-trien-rung-go-lon-b247b60/
