In recent times, the Muong Lat Forest Protection Management Board (BQLRPH) has worked with the Party Committee, government and people of Muong Lat district to protect and develop forests. Up to now, the forest coverage in the area has reached 77%. Many areas of bare land and bare hills have been covered with green, opening up many new directions in developing the forest economy for the people and contributing to environmental protection.
Pu Nhi commune people take care of tung trees.
Following the staff of the Muong Lat Forest Protection Board, we visited the production forest of Mr. Ha Van Luan in Chien Puc quarter, Muong Lat town. Mr. Luan said that in previous years, on the production forest land of his family, he planted trees that did not bring high economic efficiency, but since being provided with tung tree seedlings by the Muong Lat District Forest Protection Board, along with instructions on how to care for them, his family has been able to plant 2.65 hectares. The tung trees planted in previous years have yielded a certain amount of fruit. Currently, the family is focusing on taking care of the newly planted tung trees and expects this type of tree to bring a stable source of income for the family.
Talking to us about the effectiveness of the tung tree when it was chosen as a tree to provide seeds for people to plant, Director of Muong Lat Forest Protection Management Board Nguyen Hoang Anh said: Muong Lat Forest Protection Management Board is currently managing 3,476.69 hectares of forest and forestry land in Muong Lat town and 3 communes of Tam Chung, Pu Nhi and Nhi Son. In order to protect the forest sustainably and create livelihoods for people to develop the forest, in recent times, Muong Lat Forest Protection Management Board has implemented many research topics, supported people in the area to plant large timber trees, participated in the replacement forest planting program, but the most prominent and effective are tung and teak trees.
Through the reality and time of planting, the Management Board and the people have realized that this is a tree with many advantages such as being suitable for all types of soil, easy to grow, low investment, and is bringing efficiency to the people. Moreover, planting tung trees quickly forms forests, after 3 to 5 years of planting, the fruit can be harvested for seeds, and after 7 years, the wood can be harvested. The tung tree is also multi-purpose, the wood is peeled to make a surface coating for plywood processing technology; tung seeds are pressed into oil as an additive for the paint, varnish, printing ink, surface drying agent, lubricant industries; pharmaceutical industry, biofuel to make plastics, artificial leather...
To contribute to creating livelihoods for people to stabilize their lives and develop the economy on the border, in 2021, Muong Lat Forest Protection Management Board started planting tung trees in Chien Puc quarter (Muong Lat town) and Can and Tan Huong villages (Tam Chung commune) with an area of over 11 hectares, bringing the total area to 50 hectares planted on production forest land. In 2022, the Management Board continued to plant 50 hectares of tung trees on production forest land and 20 hectares of protective forest land in Suoi Long village (Tam Chung commune). In 2023, the Management Board intercropped tung trees and teak trees on 29.57 hectares. From the beginning of 2024 to present, the Management Board continues to expand and plant new tung trees with an area of 35 hectares of protective forest land and 70 hectares of production forest land. Currently, the tung tree is being grown by people in their household production forests and has yielded up to 100kg of fruit per garden per year, with the selling price at the time the Management Board purchases seeds at 10,000 VND/1kg fresh and from 12,000 VND to 15,000 VND/1kg dry.
The tung tree is being identified as a tree with economic value, bringing income to people in the highlands; it is a tree that creates a source of water, has the effect of improving the environment, and is an effective protection. Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Muong Lat district, Tran Van Thang, said: In 2023, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Agricultural Institute announced and handed over the results of research and construction of a soil and agricultural chemistry map of Muong Lat district. Through local surveys, many areas on hills and high mountains that are not suitable for traditional crops can be switched to growing tung trees for oil. Developing tung trees helps people have more stable jobs, increase income, and contribute to increasing forest cover.
Article and photos: Tien Dat
Source
Comment (0)