This year, the forestry sector aims to halt exploitation of naturalforest to protect and develop forest resources while improving livingconditions, eliminating hunger, and reducing poverty among ethnicminorities.

Deputy Minister ofAgriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Ha Cong Tuan, made thestatement at an annual review co-organised by the ministry and theForestry Sector Support Partnership (FSSP) Office in Hanoi on February4.

According to Tuan, climate changeand international integration has simultaneously opened up opportunitiesand challenges for the sector.

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

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

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

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

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