Developing Forestry Economy for Ethnic Minorities

The forest area and forestry land in Yen Lap district are vast, providing potential and advantages for the local people who rely on the forest to develop sustainable agricultural and forestry economies linked with forest protection. Effectively exploiting these potentials, along with the policies of the Party and State, particularly support from the National Target Program for socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, is crucial. It enables local people to enhance their economic value, stabilize their lives, and achieve sustainable development from the forest.

To implement the National Target Program for socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, the People’s Committee of Yen Lap district has issued a document regarding the implementation of a project to support production development, especially the cultivation of the medicinal plant Khoi Tia. To effectively execute the project, the district People’s Committee has instructed relevant specialized agencies and local authorities to closely follow the district’s guidance, and to translate it into detailed plans, targets, and objectives for each unit. The committee has also strengthened monitoring and evaluation to assess the progress of the project. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has been tasked with executing the planting plan for Khoi Tia in five communes: Dong Thinh, Phuc Khanh, Ngoc Dong, Minh Hoa, and Dong Lac, covering an area of over 30 hectares, with a total budget of approximately 3 billion VND. Residents participating in the project will receive support for seedling plants and technical training on cultivation, care, and harvesting. To date, the households have received seedlings and are in the process of planting them.

In line with the district’s policy, the People’s Committees of the communes supported by the project have developed and issued plans for planting medicinal plants that align with the local context. They have identified key objectives to guide, promote, and encourage the people to implement the project effectively. Mr. Nguyen Minh Hung, the Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Phuc Khanh commune, stated that utilizing the land area under the forest canopy to grow Khoi Tia would be a strong advantage for the people of the commune and Yen Lap district as a whole. This initiative will contribute to the conservation of the rare medicinal plant species of Vietnam, while also generating income and gradually improving the living standards of the ethnic minority and mountainous people.

Hoang Huong