With a large natural forest area and wide forest coverage, Hoa Binh province boasts considerable potential and advantages for developing forest-based economic activities. This is also an appropriate direction for building a sustainable and environmentally-friendly economy.
Lac Thuy district currently accommodates many "keo
lai” (Acacia hybrid) processing workshops which have helped raise the economic
value of planted forests. (Photo taken in An Binh commune).
Forest rangers of Hoa Binh province
and Cao Phong district on patrol in Thach Yen commune.
With the province’s forest coverage of more than
51%, forest not only serves as a "lung” but also plays a significant role in
protecting the environment, guaranteeing water and energy security, preventing
and controlling floods, and ensuring safety for the Red River Delta, including
Hanoi capital. It creates challenges as well as major advantages for the local
economy, culture, and society to develop fast and sustainably.
Over the past years, all-level Party committees
and administrations have identified protecting and sustainably developing
forest as one of the strategic tasks. To do that, Hoa Binh has worked to
fruitfully carry out the Government’s support policies.
The province has properly made payments for
forest environmental services, thus substantially contributing to
socio-economic development. Thanks to the payments, the persons in charge of
forest protection and development gain another source of income while forest
owners and managing units have more funding for forest and infrastructure
development.
At present, 116,037ha of local forest are
entitled to payments for forest environmental services which were valued at
over 21.5 billion VND (845,900 USD) in 2023.
In particular, to help improve the productivity
and quality of production forest, Hoa Binh is implementing a project on forest
protection and development at a total cost of 127.6 billion VND.
Nguyen Huu Tai, head of the province’s forest
protection division, said thanks to the effective implementation of support
mechanisms and policies, Hoa Binh has basically managed to maintain the natural
forest area and expand the cultivated one.
The area zoned for forestry now spans about
294,183ha, 236,919ha of which are under forest (comprising 141,614 ha of
natural forest and 95,305ha of planted forest).
Covering 51.61% of Hoa Binh’s area, forest is
present in 149 communes, wards, and townships of 10 district-level localities.
The protected area has contributed to effective forest-based economic growth.
Tai said there are about 16,000ha of planted
forest granted the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certificates.
In Resolution No. 27-NQ/TU, dated July 30, 2020,
of the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board, Hoa Binh targets 50% and
over 80% of the cultivated production forest area granted the FSC certificates
by 2025 and 2030, respectively.
To that end, it is boosting the dissemination of
the State’s regulations on building and implementing sustainable forest
management plans, making assessment of and maintaining the eligibility for the
FSC certificates, and encouraging businesses holding economic and technical
strengths to coordinate with forest owners to apply for the certificates, he
added.
According to the report of the Provincial People's Committee, since 2021, Hoa Binh province has mobilized over 16,485 billion VND from the budget and the legal sources to implement the national target program of building new rural areas.
The Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board organised a conference on June 11 to announce the decision to establish a steering committee for implementing the project on preserving and promoting values of the Muong ethnic group’s culture and the Hoa Binh Civilisation in the 2023 - 2030 period. Following that, the first meeting of this steering committee also took place. Nguyen Phi Long, alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and head of the steering committee, chaired the events.
Over the recent years, with their cultivation techniques and production processes meeting stringent food safety standards, Hoa Binh’s sugarcane products have been exported to several countries worldwide. The province's agricultural sector is taking various measures to enhance the productivity and quality of fresh sugarcane across its cultivation areas.
Developing a harmonious and modern-oriented infrastructure stands as one of the three breakthrough stages aimed at fostering socio-economic development, ensuring national defence and security, and contributing to transforming Lac Thuy into a relatively developed district with sustainable and inclusive growth.
Luong Son district of Hoa Binh province has focused on building model residential areas and model gardens to help local people promote their role in building new-style rural areas and civilised urban areas, thus maintaining its status as a new-style rural district.
Severe weather conditions on the last days of May has affected agricultural production in Hoa Binh province. In order to minimise the impact of extreme weather on rice yields, local farmers have mobilised human resources to harvest ripe paddy.
