Forestry product exports expected to reach US$15.5 bilion in 2021

It is forecast that the total export turnover of wood and forestry products for the whole year will reach US$15.5 billion, a year-on-year increase of 17%.

The figure was revealed by Bui Chinh Nghia, Vice General Director of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, at a conference held on July 7 to review its performance in the first half of the year and set tasks for the second half of 2021.

The export value of wood and forestry products in the first six months of this year was estimated at US$8.71 billion, up 61.6% compared to the same period last year, the conference heard.

Wood processing enterprises continued to push up the export of products with high added value such as kitchen cupboards and furniture, Nghia said, adding that these are also products that have achieved a great growth rate of 40%.

While appreciating the good results gained by the VNFOREST over the past six months, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh said it should not rest on its laurels as the industry has been facing challenges from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters. Trade barriers would directly affect export activities, he added.

Thus, the deputy minister demanded the administration to build scenarios for the forest industry to cope with emerging challenges.

Regarding the US's investigation into some wooden products imported from Vietnam, Doanh said that the wood manufacturing and processing industry needed to be more cautious to show other countries that Vietnam is moving towards transparent trade and is a reliable partner.

To gradually meet the demand for transparent domestic raw materials, the VNFOREST plans to issue a certificate of sustainable forest management, Nghia said.

The administration will work closely with the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) to accelerate the recognition of the national forest certification system and link with the PEFC forest certification.

It is reported that the area of the newly-planted forest has so far reached 108,258 ha, accounting for 41.6% of the plan and that of the whole year is expected to hit 260,000 ha, meeting the year’s target.

As many as 109 forest fires and 1,329 forest-related violations were recorded in the first six months of the year. The damaged forest area was 1,210 ha, a decrease of 53% compared to the same period last year. Of which, 283 ha were damaged by forest fires and 672 ha due to illegal deforestation.

The administration will strengthen the forest protection and management to meet the target of reducing the number of violations by 10% and the damaged forest area by 20% compared with last year’s figures.

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