Additional 90,700 hectares of forest were planted in the first six months of the year (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s new forest areas rose 4.5 percent year-on-year to 90,700 hectares in the first six months of the year thanks to favourable weather condition, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Of the total areas, 88,800 hectares were production forests, up 5.7 percent from the same time last year.
However, only 312,600 hectares of forest were cared for, declining 10.2 percent year-on-year.
Afforestation in the northern region is entering its main crop. Rapid tree planting has been seen in Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho and Nghe An provinces. Meanwhile, southern localities are rushed off their feet to grow more forests.
Localities nationwide are preparing nearly 396.13 million seedlings for forest planting this year, up 45.7 percent from last year’s same period.
About 102 forest fires occurred in the country from the outset of this year, down 64 percent year-on-year. The fires damaged 159 hectares of forest, falling 94 percent from the same period last year. Most of the forest fires were the results of slash-and-burn agriculture.
Some 590 hectares of forest were illegally cut down in the first half of the year. Hot spots of deforestation are Dien Bien, Dak Nong, Dak Lak and Bac Kan provinces.-VNA
VNA
