In implementing the plan to support cooperatives in improving technical capacity and providing resources for sustainable forest management and climate-smart forestry in response to climate change, as part of the project “Evidence-Based Forestry Decisions, Sustainable Forest Management, and Certification for Small-Scale Planted Forests in Vietnam,” the NACA project management board supported Quỳnh Tam Agricultural Cooperative (Quỳnh Lưu) in establishing a large-scale nursery in September and October 2023. The nursery houses 7,000 AH1 hybrid acacia mother trees propagated through tissue culture, with a total investment of 42,000,000 VND, of which the project contributed 29,000,000 VND, while the cooperative provided 13,000,000 VND, including labor costs, fertilizers, and pesticides.
Quỳnh Tam Cooperative Nursery
After five months of implementation, the cooperative has initially provided stable and regular employment for 5 female workers and 6 seasonal workers at the nursery.
With the attention and guidance from the project management board, by January 25, 2024, the cooperative had produced 40,000 rooted seedlings and prepared an additional 65,000 substrate pots for rooting cuttings, aimed at spring planting for cooperative members.
Cooperative Director Trương Văn Phúc Inspecting Seedling Quality
Mr. Trương Văn Phúc, the cooperative’s director, stated that previously, local forest growers were uncertain about the origin of the tree species they purchased, leading to suboptimal results. Now, with the cooperative being proactive in sourcing high-quality seedlings, the effectiveness of reforestation efforts will improve. In addition to benefiting local forest growers, the cooperative also creates new jobs and generates higher revenues. The cooperative expects to sell around 100,000 seedlings in the 2024 spring planting season, generating an estimated revenue of 100,000,000 VND.
Substrate Pots for Rooting Cuttings at the Cooperative’s Nursery
In the future, the cooperative plans to drill wells and install an irrigation system, as well as build a canopy over the nursery to ensure stable production, bringing benefits to cooperative members, workers, and the wider community.
Article Author: Nguyễn Đình Trưng