The project helps forestry businesses innovate techniques, manage forests effectively, and increase opportunities for the development of large timber forests.
Transforming the mindset regarding forest planting.
In 2022, the SFM Project advised Song Kon Forestry Co., Ltd. to thin out 2 hectares of hybrid acacia trees planted in 2017 in Binh Hiep commune, reducing the density from 2,455 trees/ha to 800 trees/ha. Subsequently, the company was further guided to intercrop with green lim trees – a native tree with high economic value – at a density of 2:8 (2 parts hybrid acacia and 8 parts green lim).
Three-year-old green lim trees are planted interspersed within the acacia hybrid forest of Song Kon Forestry Company Limited. Photo: NN
Mr. Ho Van He, Director of Song Kon Forestry Co., Ltd., said that shifting to large-timber forests is a strategic step, both increasing long-term economic value and being linked to sustainable development. SFM has helped the company access advanced silvicultural techniques, opening up avenues for expansion.
Through monitoring, the company found that thinning and transforming the forest yielded clear results, as the timber obtained from the first thinning not only covered the costs but also selected high-quality trees to develop into large timber trees.
Intercropping slower-growing native species like green teak with acacia hybrids creates an integrated forestry system, generating income streams at different stages.
In addition to providing high-value timber, intercropping native trees aims to enhance the resilience of planted forests and diversify future timber revenue sources, while also protecting the environment by improving soil fertility, controlling erosion, and absorbing carbon.
Based on initial results, in October 2023, Song Kon Forestry Company Limited continued thinning an additional 8 hectares, maintaining a density of 800 trees/ha. In 2024, the company proactively carried out a second thinning, leaving 400 hybrid acacia trees and 200 green lim trees/ha; it is expected that thinning will continue in 2025 to create space for green lim trees to grow. The plan is to expand the model to a scale of 50 hectares.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Dao, Chairman of Song Kon Forestry Company Limited, informed: The results achieved by the company have convinced some forest owners to gradually abandon the dense planting model with low-quality trees and switch to sparse planting, focusing on high-quality trees; at the same time, combining it with intercropping of valuable native timber trees with high value in many aspects.
Paving the way for a strategy of 1 million hectares of large timber forests.
Quy Nhon Forestry Company Limited also participated in the SFM project and planted 4 hectares of large timber forest in sub-area 352 (Quy Nhon Tay ward); after 3 years, it achieved a yield of 75 m³ of timber/ha.
The company has replaced human patrol personnel with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This has enabled them to increase the monitored area elevenfold, shorten monitoring time by 3.5 times, and significantly reduce costs.
According to Ngo Van Tinh, Director of Quy Nhon Forestry Company Limited, the company aims to expand the area of large timber forests to 1,000 hectares by 2030, contributing to reducing dependence on imported timber.
Another important outcome is that the project supported two companies in assessing their carbon sequestration capacity. Extending the acacia forest cycle from 5 to 11 years increased the average carbon sequestration from 78 to 221 tons of CO₂/ha. This provides a basis for participation in the global carbon credit market – a sector with tens of billions of dollars in revenue annually.
Technical staff of Quy Nhon Forestry Company Limited are proficient in thinning, pruning, and identifying dominant trees after participating in training courses provided by SFM. Photo: NN
Carina van Weelden, Project Manager of the SFM project at the German Development Cooperation, emphasized that sustainably certified large-scale forests not only produce high-quality sawn timber but also ensure transparency in the production chain, meeting the stringent requirements of the international market, especially the European Anti-Deforestation Regulation.
According to the government 's plan, by 2030, the whole country will have 1 million hectares of large timber forests. However, in reality, there are still many difficulties and challenges such as: limited land resources, large investment capital, and long production cycles. Meanwhile, the demand for timber is increasing. In 2024 alone, Vietnam had to import more than 2.8 billion USD worth of raw timber.
Models from the SFM project show a viable direction: planting large timber trees, mixed planting of native species, applying sustainable management certification and modern monitoring technology. This solution helps the timber industry both improve economic efficiency and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving biodiversity.
Research by the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology indicates that large timber forests have the capacity to store CO₂ many times greater than small timber forests, opening up a dual opportunity: increased income from high-quality timber and benefits from carbon credits.
With both domestic and export demand for timber increasing, developing large-scale timber forests is a sustainable path for Vietnam to consolidate its position as Asia's second-largest timber supplier.
Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/them-co-hoi-phat-trien-rung-go-lon-post565973.html
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