Planting forests to pay off forest debt

QTO - Until now, when someone mentions his past as a "forest bandit", Mr. Ho Van Cu Ta still feels embarrassed and quickly explains that it was a story of several decades ago. Now, many vacant lands and bare hills of Huong Hiep commune have gradually been covered with green plants of high economic value such as black star trees, flower-shaped trees, hybrid acacia, yellow cajuput trees... thanks to the contributions of many people, including the hands of Mr. Ho Van Cu Ta.

When mentioning his past as a “forest bandit”, Mr. Ho Van Cu Ta (born in 1983) recalled that about 23 years ago, the lives of many Bru-Van Kieu and Pa Ko ethnic people like Mr. Ho Van Cu Ta in Huong Hiep commune were completely dependent on the forest. All year round, Ho Van Cu Ta and the villagers went into the forest to dig for cassava, cut down trees, rattan, bamboo… to bring to the market to sell.

Ho Van Cu Ta naively thought that the forest belonged to nature, so everyone cut it down to get wood, make fields, etc. Not only that, some villagers who were familiar with the paths in the deep forest were also lured into the village by "loggers" and hired to cut down trees in the forest.

At that time, no one in the village thought that they were helping to destroy and deplete forest resources. Only when the authorities discovered, explained, and propagated the harmful effects of deforestation as well as the serious consequences of cutting down trees did they start to rethink and embark on the journey of "paying back" the debt to the green forest.

Ho Van Cu Ta's journey to "pay back" the forest started with 1 hectare of upland land growing rice, corn, etc. On that very area, from dawn to dusk, Ho Van Cu Ta tore up weeds to plant Melaleuca japonica, Acacia auriculiformis, etc. After 5 years, the planted forest area developed well and brought high economic efficiency, which was the motivation for Ho Van Cu Ta to continue expanding the forested area in Luoi village to 10 hectares. On his forested land, Ho Van Cu Ta took turns exploiting it to sell to traders and then replanting the forest with an average income of 100-150 million VND/year.

Mr. Ho Van Cu Ta owns more than 10 hectares of high-income planted forest - Photo: SH

Recalling the early days of digging holes to plant yellow cajuput and acacia auriculiformis on the swidden land and bare hills, Ho Van Cu Ta always encountered the skeptical and apprehensive looks of the people of Luoi village. It is understandable because from ancient times to that time, the people of Luoi village almost entirely depended on the natural forest for their livelihood. If they had nothing to eat, they would go into the forest to dig for cassava; to build houses, they would go into the forest to cut down trees for wood; to clear the forest to make fields to grow rice and corn.

In addition to planting forests on swidden land and bare hills, Ho Van Cu Ta also did not hesitate to work hard and travel long distances to persuade the villagers to resolutely not listen to the instigation and enticement of the "forest bandits". At first, the villagers were skeptical, but then with the concrete actions of Ho Van Cu Ta, the villagers trusted and began to learn how to plant forests. Not only that, with his enthusiasm, passion, and determination to "pay back" the forest, Ho Van Cu Ta was elected as the Chief of Luoi village from 2010 to present.

“I will continue to green the forest as well as mobilize the people of Luoi village to plant forests, preserve the green color of the forest, so that we will no longer be “indebted” to the green forest,” Mr. Ho Van Cu Ta shared.

Sy Hoang

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202511/trong-rung-de-tra-no-rung-f5f19fb/