This year, the forestry sector aims to halt exploitation of natural forest to protect and develop forest resources while improving living conditions, eliminating hunger, and reducing poverty among ethnic minorities.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Ha Cong Tuan, made the statement at an annual review co-organised by the ministry and the Forestry Sector Support Partnership (FSSP) Office in Hanoi on February 4.

According to Tuan, climate change and international integration has simultaneously opened up opportunities and challenges for the sector.

Looking ahead, the sector will focus on developing sustainable and high-yield forestry models to supply timber and forest products for processing.

Forestry production value is expected to hit 25 trillion VND (1.16 billion USD) in 2015, an annual increase of seven percent, with forest product export revenue at 6.7 billion USD and the forest coverage reaching 42 percent.

At the meeting, FSSP Co-Chair Kirsten Hegener said FSSP and Vietnam are working for a new model of cooperation to help strengthen forest protection and development in the context of adapting to and minimising the impact of climate change, as well as work towards the effective implementation of the country’s Green Development Strategy.

The FSSP looks to participate further in the sector’s restructuring, especially the MARD post-2015 action plans and the amendment of relevant policies, she added.

The FSSP began operation in 2000, and so far it has assisted the country in building around 40 legal documents and projects in forestry.-VNA