Vietnam has an abundant and diversified ecological system. The Vietnamese government has had lots of solutions on good management and exploitation of forest resource. Vietnam now owns main types of forests and an eco-system of fauna and flora as follows:

Tropical evergreen broadleaf forests situated at an altitude of 800-1000m are a mixed forest type with big timber trees and valuable specialties. 

Tropical evergreen broadleaf forests on limestone mountains provide precious timber types of highly economic value, and beautiful caves are found there.

Sub-tropical evergreen broadleaf forests that are situated at an altitude of 800m in the North have a variety of timbers and medical trees.

Dry forests which are situated in Tay Nguyen, East–Southern, central coastal there is a mixture of evergreen and deciduous trees. Oil-trees are predominant.  

Coniferous forests that are situated at an altitude of over 1,000 m in the South, over 1,500m at Hoang Lien Son, Truong Son have different types of pine-trees, fir, and spruce.

Mangrove forests in the coastal area have a variety of valuable animals and plants

Cajuput forests in the alkaline Southern area help with improvement on alkaline soil and freshwater protection.

Bambo forests: various types with high value Flora and Fauna:

Fauna: 7,000 out of a total of 12,000 types have been identified. Of which 2,300 types are valuable for food, husbandry and timber collection. At present there are some types that are in danger of extinction.

Fauna: There are 275 types of wild animals, 180 types of reptile, 80 types of amphibian, hundreds of fish types and thousands of invertebrate types. Large animals such as Asian elephants and wild oxen are in danger of extinction.

Endemic types of animals include: white- tailed pheasants, white-crested pheasants.

There are four animals that are found in Vietnam but have never been announced in the world.

Management and sustainable exploitation of forest sources in Vietnam has been paid good attention.

In term of state management: Forestry sector was previously under the management of General Department of Forestry. On November 28, 1961, the Ministry of Forestry was established which, in 1997, under the Government decision of merging 3 ministries to establish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. At present, there are 600 production units under the ministry’s management (forest enterprise, enterprises, mechanic factories, and nearly 100 centers for scientific research, training and health care).

In the last few years, Vietnamese forestry sector has taken different actions in order to manage the sustainable exploitation of forest sources including: Management of forest protection, forestation and scattered species planting, production of timber and wood  forest product processing and human resource development.

Building system of special-use forests: up to now there have been 100 special-use forests nationwide including 11 national parks, 64 natural reserves and 34 forests of cultural, historical and environmental interest

Building system of protective forests: At present the system has 4 million ha and the Government has targeted 6 million for the next few years

Building system of production forests: Management is granted to forest owners consisting of organizations, individuals and households by the state

Settled agriculture and Settlement: Encouraging on settled agriculture and settlement along with forest allocation in order to minimize deforestation and promote socio-economic development in the mountainous area.

State management of forest protection goes along with laws on forest protection and development, environmental laws and land laws in order to enhance the management from central to local level.

Forest fire prevention and pestilent insect prevention are done to minimize the damage of pestilent insect and forest fire.

1955-1975 the forest area was 219,290ha

1976-1985 the forest area was 1,054,281 ha

1986-1995 the forest area was 1,015,449 ha

1996 up to now the forest area was 1,471,394 ha

In the process of forestation attention must be paid to plant structure, breeds, breeding techniques, management and scientific techniques.

Movement of scattered species planting is popular in the lowland, towns, and cities. Now there are about 2 billion trees of this kind.

Promoting breeding for valued non-timber forestry plants. Strengthening wood forests catering for agricultural and handicraft production.

In the last few years the annual average wood collection has been 3million m3 timber and 30.3 million ste woods. It is estimated timber processing would be 0.05m3/per head/ per annum, equal to 4.8 million m3 timber / per annum during the period of 2000-2020. Processing of non-timber forest products is also focused.

Forest product processing: There are now 4 forestry mechanic factories nationwide, manufacturing equipment and machines for timber processing, logging, transporting, and processing. In addition, every year 460 km road as well as housing and health care clinics are built for the staff.

Training system is conducted at 1 university, 3 high schools, 6 vocational training schools and 1 management school with an enrolment of 6000 people/year.

 In terms of scientific technology research in industry sector, Vietnam has Institute of Science Forestry, Institute of forest planning Inspection, Forestry University. There is also concentration on international cooperation with organizations as FAO, PAM, UNDP, SIDA... and other governmental and non-govermental organizations (NGO) in the projects of forestation, protection over bio-diversity, and development of socio - forest economics in the mountainous area. 

To have a sustainable agriculture-forestry, Vietnam has set long-term goals for Vietnamese forestry sector in the next few decades as follows: Vietnam will build a stable forest structure with appropriate distribution across the country: Special-use forest: 3 million ha; protective forests: 6 million ha and production forests: 10 million ha. Forest coverage accounts for 54% of territorial area, with timber supplies is no less than an average of 0.5m3/per head/per annum.

To obtain the above objectives the forestry sector has put forward the following specific solutions:

1. Intensifying forest allocation to organizations, individuals and family households according to Land Laws and Laws on Protection and Forest development.

2 Issuing policies which encourage production development, support laborers, intensify activities on settled agriculture and settlement, poverty reduction, socio-economic development in the mountainous area.

3. Intensifying management of forest protection, forestation and forestry product processing. Strengthening State management, perfecting the management system from the central to local level with a view to enhancing management effectiveness and capability at all levels.

4. Reforming State’s enterprise organization towards state forestry enterprises and timber and forest product processing enterprises.

5. Intensifying research and application of scientific advancement into production. Forming and carrying out policies, which develop technical science in forest generation, management, forest product processing. Afforestation, using and processing of non-timber forest products should be strengthened.

6. Cooperation with countries and international organization in the area of forestry.

Thanks to its abundant forest resources with a varied fauna- flora along with good organization and specific management measurements, Vietnam can probably develop its sustainable forestry and meet the set long-term objectives.

According to Vietnam National Center of agricultural extension, in the last few years agricultural extension has focused on encouraging and supporting the poverty reduction process and assisting sustainable merchandised agriculture with high competitiveness.

During the period from 1993-2005, Vietnam’s agricultural extension had great contribution to the process of agricultural and rural development, which was highly appreciated. Various centers of local agricultural extensions were granted Government’s certificates of Merits and Labour Medals

From 2006 agricultural extension programs will be formed and budget will be distributed in the orientations of 

+ Giving priority to carrying out agricultural extension programs in poor provinces in the North- West, South - West, and Highlands; followed by provinces with an average income and big cities, province with fairly good budget revenues come last.

+ Each province and building unit carries 3-5 general programs of agricultural extension in 4 fields: Cultivation, Husbandry, Forestry and Industry.

+Local agricultural extension centers and other units such as: associations, organizations. Research institute, agricultural breeding centers also concentrate on carrying out different types of agricultural extension. National Centre of agricultural extension is responsible for providing information, education, training and introducing some main models of agricultural extension.

From now on beneficiaries of agricultural extension are not only farmers but extended some others such as: forest enterprises’ staff, farm owners, agricultural production enterprises.

In 2006 the budget for central agricultural extension increases by 12% compared to 2005, concentrating on 201 units that carry out 101 contracts in comparison with 198 units and 250 contracts in 2005.

Agricultural extension activities are those focusing on information propaganda, training and building performance models and transfer of technical advancement into production.

Expenditure accounts for 7.34% of total expenditure for agricultural extension, an increase of 0.99% compared to 2005.

This programs covers main activities as: editing, printing and publishing ” News on Vietnam’s agricultural extension; building and maintain website  “Vietnam’s agricultural extension”, organizing agricultural competitions, fairs of breeding plants, domestic animals and agricultural material (known as Agricultural Fair in short) in 7 ecological areas; printing and publishing publications in agricultural extension and agriculture; cooperating with the central mass media in order to strengthen information propaganda on agricultural extension.

7.3% out of total expenditure for agricultural extension is spent on this program.

Main activities: Opening training classes on professional skills training for agricultural extension and cultivation, husbandry, forestry extension, industry extension; editing publications on agricultural extension; organizing exchanging activities on agricultural extension and agriculture domestically and abroad.

This program costs about 85.8% of the budget. Agricultural extension models are carried out at provincial agricultural extension and some other units (breeding centers, enterprise association) some keys models are carried out at some research institutes of agriculture. Agricultural extension models are built in the order of priority as follow:

Agricultural extension of husbandry: encouraging concentrated husbandry away from residential area in form of industry and semi-industry along with biological safety. Some keys livestocks are: cow raising attached with grass intensive cultivation; poultry raising attached with concentrated slaughter, and safe poultry consumption; pig raising along with appropriate pigsties.

Industrial extension: includes irrigation extension; rural trades and salt industry; agricultural product processing and preservation.

Irrigation extension: encouragement on economical method of watering; methods of using and maintaining irrigation systems.

Encouraging development of preserving main agricultural products of fresh fruits and vegetables

Encouraging rural trades, reviving and developing traditional trades and salt industry: fresh salt and industrial salt.

Encouraging mechanisation in different steps of agricultural production, particularly the  development of combined harvester machine in the Mekong River Delta, the cotton- harvesting machine for the South Central. Tay Nguyen, straw presser for the ranching area (the Northern mountainous midland, Costal central, Tay Nguyen and other areas)

Forestry extension: Concentrating on intensive cultivation of big timber trees; non-timer trees; forest trees for material and intensive cultivation on exhausted milpas. Main locations are: the Northern mountainous midland, Tay Nguyen, Coastal central and other areas.

Cultivation extension

Encouraging the use of  F1 hybrid rice for production in the North and some areas in the Central and Tay Nguyen; intensive cultivation of hybrid rice in the areas in need of food.

Developing the program of general intensive cultivation, rice in the North, the program of three-increase and three- decrease in the South.

Program of shifting cultivation, intensive cultivation developing a number of new breeds: beans, peanuts, and hybrid maizes of all types.

Program of developing intensive cultivation of industrial trees: coffee, rubber, pepper, cashew-nut and cocoa-trees which are having output in Tay Nguyen, East- Southern and some other provinces; developing high quality tea-trees in the Northern mountainous midland; intensive cultivation of new sugarcane breeds in: Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Gia Lai, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Ca Mau.

Intensive cultivation of some types of special fruit-trees such as longan, grapefruit.. in the suitable areas, and pineapples in Binh Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa.

Production of fresh vegetables and fruits is mainly carried out in big cities and provinces with industrial zones.

This is the first year in the program of agricultural extension implementation 2006-2010; there are changes in the content with general and specific models, agricultural extension planning results from the participation of various provinces and relevant units under the management of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural development.

  According to Vietnam Rubber Corporation, the current price of exported rubber to China has reached a record price of 17,200 yuan/ton (an equivalence to 2,120 USD/ ton), an increase of 300 yuan compared to the average price in 2005)

 At present, Vietnam Rubber Corporation is controlling a rubber area of 176,617ha with an average capacity of 1.725tons /ha. Of which 87,000ha bring about a turnover of 50 million VND/ ha and its profit accounts for 35.36%, a good contribution to a higher values of Vietnam’s exported agricultural products of which rubber is one of highest valued exported products, second only to rice. During the first quarter of 2006, workers had more time to collect latex thanks to favourable weather condition of much rain and delayed stop. ( in previous years, workers usually pause latex collection from December until the end of January- February the next year). According to the Corporation’s estimation, rubber output this year will increase thanks to favourable weather condition.

Deputy General Director of Vietnam Rubber Corporation says: High profit is partly due to high price of latex but companies’ good management is also a significant contribution. The Corporation targeted at 1.5 tons/ha up to 2005, but in fact, the figure reached was 1.725tons/ha, of which rubber companies in the East- Southern all reached a capacity of 1.8tons/ha. There were 22 enterprises that had capacity of 2 tons/ha. The increase in capacity is partly dependant on weather condition, growth generation cycle but good management is also of great importance. Though it is the present time when latex is at its peak, latex thefts have fallen, especially there is no reports of latex thefts among workers, as companies have had good management measures.

Rubber companies’ emulation movement in production and business performance that is lauchned from leaders to each enterprise and production team and approved by committees with high democracy receive great support from labourers. And it is one of the factors that resulted in good management

Labour regulations are insured and the workers’ lives have been improved, which has tied the workers with their obligations and responsibilities for the purpose of  “ wealthy workers, strong companies”

In 2006 as well as the next years, Vietnamese rubber industry aims at stabilizing prices; diversifying products, attracting investment, expanding rubber area in the East – Southern and the neighbouring country of Laos. Presently, the Corporations is having an rubber cultivated area of 7,041ha in Laos. Equitisation is being carried out at companied with view to establishing Vietnamese Rubber Group. The corporation is requesting companies to improve management in order to increase capacity, but also ensure technical procedures set by the corporation to prolong the lifetime of rubber trees. At present, because of high price of latex, the purchases of latex from small plantations is very competitive, especially with Chinese traders who have a lot of methods for latex purchases from small plantations. In Binh Phuoc province, Dong Phu and Binh Long rubber companies - the two biggest traders of latex from small plantations can purchase only 50% of their plans. As a result, the Corporation has asked companies in 2006 to timely regulate purchasing prices to market prices for competitiveness increase. Companies should have market expansion as well as maintain traditional markets on the basis of quality insurance and product prestige. Almost all companies have established good relations with provinces; implementing democracy regulations; making labour polices public, working in tight coordination with workers.

In Binh Phuoc province, in 2005, rubber companies had a contribution of 32% to the province’s budget, rubber export turnover accounted for 75% of total export turnover. Recently, Vietnam Rubber Corporation has had an agreement on changing over 3,220ha rubber at favourable location in order that Binh Phuoc can form industrial zones, attracting investment, developing economics. In return, Binh Phuoc has 10,000 ha forestry land to rubber companies for cultivation of rubber, forest trees and big cattle ranching, and establishing new enterprises on the forestland approved by the Government.

Establishing Vietnam Rubber Group and diversifying trades, developing production and business performance in a self-contained way are targets for Vietnam’s rubber sector to gain sustainable development

In the past few years, there has been a high increase in the world’s cassava price, the cassava cultivated area in Vietnam has increased sharply. According to 2005 statistics, the total cassava area across the country was 423,8 thousand ha, with capacity of 156.8 quintals/ ha and yield of 6.5 million tons of fresh cassava roots. In comparison with 2000, there was an increase of 1.8 times in areas, twofold in capacity and 3.2 times in yield. The average growth rates were 16%, 25% and 44% in area, capacity and yield respectively.

At present, there are about 52 cassava-processing factories and about 4,000 private enterprises. Total processing capacity of cassava ground is about 3,500 tons/ day (equal to 14,000 tons of roots). Many provinces still has a tendency to expand cassava cultivated area and develop cassava - processing enterprises.  

However, cassava development has revealved such shortcomings: Too-quick and spontaneous cassava expansion has broken the planning for other plants such as sugarcane, pineapples, tea, fruit-trees, forests; increased deforestation and land clearing for cassava cultivation; in some places cassava was grown on slopping land, and prolonged extensive cultivation and monoculture have resulted in exhausted soil, decreased capacity; seriously enviromental pollution from cassava- processing enterprises. As a result, Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development has issued strict control over the cassava-cultivated area, concentrating on intensive cultivation for the purpose of capacity increase, efficiency and sustainable development. The ministry has also requested People’s Committes of some provinces and relevant Departments and Sub-departments under the ministry’s management to implement issues of production planning, cultivation methods and cassava processing.

- Reviewing cassava cultivation planning nationwide, provinces will regulate their production scale to make it suitable for the Minnistry’s requests.

- After reviewing cassava-cultivated area, province needs to have appropriate methods in the orientation:

+ In the key cassava areas which provide material to processing factories have to meet requirements on cultivating land, for example: the tilt mustn’t exceed 15%, land stratum is over 30cm thick, the distance from processing factories is not over 100km and with favourable traffic condition. No transgressing the material areas of other factories.

+ As for the non-key area: cassava is only grown at the same tilt and thickness as mentioned above; totally banning on illegal deforestation for expansion of cassava cultivation

+ In cassava cultivated areas which do not meet the above requirements, the authorities should encourage farmers to grow other trees which are more economically efficient and friendlier to the eco-system, for example, lawn growing for husbandry, and forestation. 

- Prompt building and directing the sustainable cassava intensive cultivation process.  

-Carrying out breed selection and import of good cassava breeds suitable with ecological conditions to put into production.

- Intensifying agricultural extension, training on cultivation and processing methods, building models of sustainable intensive cultivation for expansion recommendation.

- Putting new cassava breeds of high quality and capacity, drought-resistant into production such as KM60, KM94, KM95-3, HN124; implementing alternative and shifting cultivation, using organic and micro-organic fertilizers, sustainable methods on the slopping land, using mechanism in soil work and cassava harvesting.

-Conducting review and evaluation of cassava-processing enterprises, overcoming existing obstacles, no granting of new building license to processing enterprises which do not meet the requirements on material area and technology; concentrating on improvement investment, upgrading the existing processing enterprises for the purposes of increasing product value and preventing environmental pollution. Those enterprises that do not ensure industrial hygenes, and cause environmental pollution will have production stopped until all the conditions are met.

Offices of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development, Provincial People’s Committees are directing the implementation of production planning and cassava processing to ensure sustainable development in the short term as well as the long term.