Attending the conference were representatives from the Forestry Production Development Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) and nearly 200 representatives from departments, localities, Vietnam Timber Association, Ho Chi Minh City Timber Association, Binh Duong, Woodworking business owners, businesses specializing in raw materials, wood machinery and equipment, commercial banks, universities...

Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2021, the wood and forest product processing sector of Dong Nai province still has strong growth, wood export turnover at1.86 billion USD, an increase of 10.8% compared to 2020. Dong Nai continues to maintain the 2nd largest timber export position in the country; At the same time, wood is also one of the key export industries, with the third largest turnover in the province's sector. Although promising results have been achieved, the current challenge for the wood sector is that the domestic source of wood materials from plantations is not of high quality. The price of imported wood materials continuously increased. Therefore, it is very necessary to build and develop a sustainable source of wood materials.

The goal of the Dong Nai wood processing sector is also to promote linkages between forest growers and wood processing businesses, establish an association to create a legal source of wood materials to meet the wood production sector in the province and neighboring regions. At the same time, in 2022, Dong Nai province strives to export over 2 billion USD, build an electronic wood trading floor, sell directly through the exchange, contribute to improving added value and Vietnamese wood product brands.

Mr. Le Xuan Quan, Chairman of Dowa, said that although the Covid-19 pandemic made it very challenging for businesses, the wood sector is still growing well. Especially, in the past year, the province's wood export turnover has grown with the most impressive figure ever (1.86 billion USD). Orientation of the Dong Nai wood sector is strategic and in-depth, Dong Nai province gave Dowa a plan for a high-tech forestry zone in Xuan Loc district.

At the conference, delegates from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam Timber and Forest Products Association, Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as businesses discussed solutions to link development for the Dong Nai wood sector and the country.

According to experts, in 2022, Vietnam's production and export of wooden furniture and forest products still has a lot of opportunities. Opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to improve competitiveness, expand export markets, contribute to fulfilling the goal of bringing the country's wood sector export turnover to 20 billion dollars by 2025.

Dong Nai is one of the five provinces and cities with the largest export turnover of wooden furniture in the country for many years and is a leader in applying modern technology to production. In 2022, the Dong Nai wood sector will strengthen many solutions so that the export turnover of wooden furniture will reach 2 billion USD, exceeding the export target of the sustainable forest product processing project in Dong Nai province by 2025. Additionally, focus on deep processing, reduce raw export in order to increase product value.

At the conference, Mr. Le Van Goi, Deputy Director of Dong Nai Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that in the near future, the province will create a material area of large timber plantations that must have FSC certificates to meet the standards for export wood processing. For this plantation, it must also be linked in a chain with those who process and consume forest products. As for processing, the provincial agricultural sector will also coordinate with the Association to create a healthy environment, calling on businesses to continue to invest in developing and building the brand of Vietnamese wood in general and Dong Nai wood in particular.

At the conference, a cooperation signing ceremony took place between the Vietnam Timber and Forest Products Association and 4 member associations in Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Binh Dinh; cooperate in building a supply chain of plantation timber materials meeting FSC - FM standards and cooperate in developing medicinal herbs under the forest canopy between businesses.

In the future, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Dong Nai Wood and Handicraft Association will closely coordinate with relevant departments and units to focus on performing the task of forest protection, development of the wood processing materials areas, build forests to meet sustainable forest standards, traceable timber products, expanding chain links between forest owners, businesses and combining the development of non-timber forest products to enhance forest values, stabilize the life of forest growers; develop supporting industries for wood processing...", emphasized Mr. Cao Tien Sy, Director of Dong Nai Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Translated by Nguyen Hai Long