Vietnam has planted a total of 130,858ha of production forest, equal to 67 percent of the year’s plan and a rise of 104.5 percent year-on-year.

Vietnam has planted a total of 130,858ha of production forest, equal to 67 percent of the year’s plan and a rise of 104.5 percent year-on-year (Source: tinmoitruong.vn)

Of the figure, more than 37,200ha are newly-grown forest and about 93,600ha of replanted forest, according to the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Meanwhile, about 24,000ha of forest was exploited for use in August 2018, with an output of 1.75 million cu.m of wood.

In the first eight months of the year, the country exploited 12.3 million cu.m of wood, or 66.5 percent of the year’s plan and up 4.8 percent compared to the same period last year.

According to VNFOREST, as many as 732 Vietnamese businesses have obtained the Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody (FSC/CoC) Certification, taking the lead in Southeast Asia.

Of the number, 49 firms, with a total area of 226,500ha, gained the certification of sustainable forest management.

The export value of forestry products is projected to hit 5.85 billion USD between January and August this year, increasing 13 percent year-on-year and accounting for 23 percent of Vietnam’s total agro-forestry-fishery exports.

Estimations of VNFOREST showed that during the eight-month period, the trade surplus of forestry products will amount to 4.39 billion USD, of which 4.09 billion USD is contributed by the shipment of timber and wood products.

VNFOREST forecast forestry exports to rise in the remaining months of the year, particularly to traditional markets like the US, China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and, the EU.–VNA