Forestry linked with processing - a way out of poverty for the people of Hoi Xuan.

People in Hoi Xuan commune take care of the bamboo forest.

Having a deep connection to and livelihood from the forest, Ms. Cao Thi Sinh in Cham village understands the value of forestry very well. Proof of this is her family's more than 5 hectares of bamboo, currently ready for harvest, worth approximately 1 billion VND. Taking us to visit the bamboo forest, Ms. Sinh shared: “Previously, my family planted bamboo but didn't apply scientific and technical advancements to care and harvesting, resulting in low economic efficiency. In recent years, my family has received support in fertilizers and the transfer of scientific and technical advancements in planting and caring for bamboo forests using intensive farming methods, so the bamboo area has grown quickly and healthily. In addition, my family has partnered with 25 other bamboo-growing households in the village to aim for FSC sustainable forest certification. Currently, my family harvests nearly 200 tons of bamboo annually, generating revenue of 250 million VND. Income from forestry has helped my family live a more comfortable life.”

Hoi Xuan commune has potential and advantages in terms of forests and forest land. The entire commune currently has more than 10,241 hectares of forest land, including 1,523 hectares of special-use forest, 4,339 hectares of protection forest, and 4,378 hectares of production forest, mainly bamboo, mahogany, and teak. These are significant advantages for the locality to promote the development of production forests linked to processing, opening up a genuine and sustainable way out of poverty for the people. In order to maximize the potential and strengths of the forest, especially to create a stable source of raw materials for the forest product processing industry, in recent times, Hoi Xuan commune has developed a plan and strengthened the direction of functional forces, departments, organizations, and forest owners to implement comprehensive solutions for forest protection and development. At the same time, the commune effectively implemented the policy of supporting households growing bamboo in accordance with Resolution No. 185/2021/NQ-HĐND of the Provincial People's Council on the promulgation of policies for the development of agriculture , rural areas, and farmers in Thanh Hoa province, giai đoạn 2022-2025. Accordingly, many households growing bamboo in Hoi Xuan commune have received support in fertilizers, transfer of advanced scientific and technical knowledge in forest planting, forest care, and harvesting; building production linkages associated with the consumption of bamboo products; and investing in the construction and upgrading of forest roads to facilitate the harvesting and transportation of planted forest products.

Over the years, the entire commune has restored dozens of hectares of bamboo, planted new trees, and reforested hundreds of hectares after logging. The quality of forestry seedlings from nurseries and seedling farms in the area is strictly managed. Planning and investment have been made in developing raw material areas to serve forest product processing; effectively implementing joint ventures and linkages between processing facilities and forest growers. People are encouraged to invest in developing long-cycle production forests and converting small-timber forests to large-timber forests. In addition, Hoi Xuan commune has implemented many solutions to attract businesses and cooperatives involved in forest product processing to the area. To date, there are 8 forest product processing cooperatives in the commune. These mainly produce paper for export, creating regular employment for over 300 workers and thousands of workers in the raw material production area.

However, the reality is that most of the bamboo raw materials from Hoi Xuan commune are mainly sold to traders inside and outside the province; the area of forest certified with the international FSC standard is still small; the scale of production of forest product processing cooperatives is still small, and the main products are paper base production, with no deeply processed products yet...

To enhance the value of its forests, Hoi Xuan commune is currently promoting forest regeneration and production, especially planting forests according to international FSC standards, linked with harvesting and processing; focusing on developing bamboo forests in an intensive manner suitable to local farming conditions. In addition, the commune is actively attracting investment in forest planting, harvesting, raw material procurement, processing, and product consumption along the value chain. Simultaneously, various mechanisms and policies are in place to encourage businesses processing forest products, especially those with advanced processing lines that save raw materials and protect the environment, to collaborate with cooperatives and forest owners to enhance the value of the forestry sector and create jobs and increase income for forest growers.

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