Packing wooden furniture for export to the US market at Trieu Phu Loc Company in the southern province of Binh Duong. — Photo VNA

Export turnover of wood and forestry products for the year has been forecast to hit US$15.5 billion, a year-on-year increase of 17 per cent.

The figure was revealed by Bui Chinh Nghia, deputy general director of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, at a conference held on Wednesday in Ha Noi.

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

Wood processing enterprises continued to push 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 per cent.

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 impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters. Trade barriers would directly affect export activities, he added.

The deputy minister demanded the administration ensure the forest industry is ready to cope with emerging challenges.

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

To meet the demand for transparent domestic raw materials, 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 the area of the newly-planted forest has so far reached 108,258ha, accounting for 41.6 per cent of the plan and that of the whole year is expected to hit 260,000ha, 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 1,210ha, a decrease of 53 per cent compared with the same period last year. Of which, 283ha were damaged by forest fires and 672ha due to illegal deforestation.

The administration will strengthen forest protection and management to meet the target of reducing the number of violations by 10 per cent and the damaged forest area by 20 per cent compared with last year. — VNS