In the gentle spring sunshine, thin sheets of wood are neatly arranged like notebooks, waiting to dry before being sold. The work of buying trees, sawing, and chipping wood provides a fairly stable income not only for the owner but also for more than 10 seasonal workers in the area. This is the Pham Van Du timber processing facility in Tan Son hamlet, Cuc Duong commune (Vo Nhai district).
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| Wood peeling production at Pham Van Du's timber processing facility in Tan Son hamlet, Cuc Duong commune (Vo Nhai district). |
Over a warm cup of tea, Mr. Pham Van Sang, who co-founded this timber processing facility with Mr. Pham Van Du, shared with us the difficulties and hardships of starting a business. Mr. Sang said: "Earning money these days is not easy at all, especially in remote villages and communes with rugged terrain and limited arable land. But as a man, I didn't allow myself to be discouraged by difficulties. I didn't shy away from jobs like 'working the land from dawn till dusk,' 'selling at the market,' from rice, corn, potatoes, cassava, driving passenger buses, then switching to timber trading and reforestation… But all those jobs only provided my family with a relatively stable life, not satisfying my desire to get rich, so I decided to invest in opening a timber processing facility. It would be a waste to live on forest land and not know how to take advantage of the forest's resources."
Determined to get rich in their homeland, Dự and Sang invested nearly 5 billion VND, along with some borrowed capital, to open a timber processing facility. This was no easy task, as it required a large capital investment, a spacious area, and was highly dependent on the weather.
During periods of heavy rain or high humidity, peeled wood that isn't dried promptly will become moldy, rendering it unsaleable or forcing it to be discarded. There are also days when it's sunny but suddenly a heavy rain shower occurs, and if the veneer isn't processed quickly, it can significantly impact quality. But with a determination to achieve legitimate wealth, Mr. Dự and Mr. Sang learn as they go, accumulating experience through trial and error…
After more than two years since its establishment, the facility has shown promising results. On average, the facility processes over 100 cubic meters of wood veneer per month (reaching 200 cubic meters per month during sunny periods); produces 350 tons of wood chips and firewood per month; and provides employment for nearly 10 local workers.
Mr. Sang said: "The work of stripping wood and chopping firewood is quite strenuous and requires strong physical health; not to mention it depends heavily on the weather, so sometimes we can't hire seasonal workers, which affects the production process and economic efficiency."
The market for veneer and wood chips/firewood is currently relatively favorable. The wood he buys for veneer is mostly acacia, a tree widely grown in Cuc Duong and other localities in the province, so there is no shortage of raw materials. Currently, his facility is purchasing acacia wood at over 1 million VND/ton and firewood at over 900,000 VND/ton.
Watching the large trucks waiting to load finished timber planks for sale, the wood peeling machines humming along, everyone busy with their tasks, we understood the dedication and passion that Mr. Dự and Mr. Sang had poured into their timber processing facility. We wish them success in achieving their goals and plans, and that their timber processing facility in the mountainous Cúc Đường commune would continue to develop sustainably, prosper legitimately, and create more jobs for local workers.
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