Leveraging Advantages to Develop Forest Economy

​(News Portal – Dong Nai) - With the advantage of large forested land areas, especially planted forests, Dong Nai is highly focused on developing the forest economy. Based on its unique potential and advantages, localities with forests in the province have implemented several forest economy models such as aquaculture under mangrove canopies in Nhon Trach and Long Thanh districts; agroforestry models like planting medicinal herbs under forest canopies and eco-tourism in Vinh Cuu, Tan Phu, and Dinh Quan districts. 

Experimental Lingzhi Mushroom Cultivation under the Forest Canopy at Xuan Loc Protected Forest Management Board. 

Although many forest economy models have proven effective, they remain difficult to replicate due to numerous challenges and obstacles, including significant policy barriers that need to be addressed.

Many Promising Models

The province currently has nearly 124,000 hectares of natural forest, concentrated in Dong Nai Nature - Culture Reserve, Cat Tien National Park, Tan Phu Protected Forest Management Board, La Nga Forestry One Member Limited Liability Company, among others. These natural forests host thousands of medicinal plant species.

The project "Southern National Medicinal Plant Garden at Dong Nai Nature - Culture Reserve" for the period 2021-2030 is one of the forest economy models that Dong Nai has implemented quite early. According to the reserve's report, the unit proposed establishing the Southern National Medicinal Plant Garden with an area of about 200 hectares. The garden will be divided into three areas: conservation, research and development, and administrative and service areas. This medicinal garden will collect, conserve, and store medicinal plant species, especially valuable medicinal herbs; develop propagation, cultivation, and harvesting processes, and transfer them to local residents to develop medicinal plants and promote the medicinal resources in conjunction with tourism development.

Surveys in the reserve have identified over 900 medicinal plant species, many of which are endemic and rare. The project has collected and planted over 300 medicinal plant species, most of which are valuable. The area's soil, ecology, climate, and environment are very suitable for establishing a national medicinal plant garden. Developing and conserving valuable medicinal plants in the province's natural forests and then expanding them for local residents to grow medicinal plants to increase their income is the project's goal. The project aims to ensure economic objectives while also providing educational, ecological, and biodiversity values.

In 2023, the project "Research on the Model of Experimental Lingzhi Mushroom Cultivation under Acacia Hybrid Canopy" led by Dong Nai Forest Protection Department was recognized as a provincial-level science and technology project. In 2018, the department initiated the trial cultivation of 300 Lingzhi mushroom spores at La Nga Forestry One Member Co., Ltd. (Thanh Son Commune, Dinh Quan District). The results showed that the red Lingzhi mushrooms grew well and produced high-quality mushrooms. This project attracted businesses with the aim of applying research results to reality, commercializing products, and contributing to job creation and economic development for households contracted to plant and protect the local protection forest. 

Intercropping Forests with Annual Crops in Xuan Loc District

Policies Needed
In recent years, the province's stance has been to protect and develop forest capital. In reality, Dong Nai has done a good job of this, with the province's forest coverage reaching nearly 29.3%, the highest in the Southeast and Southwest regions. For sustainable forest protection and development, the forest economy must be valued; forests must generate income and create products for society.​

Although forest economy models have proven effective, they remain difficult to implement widely due to significant policy barriers. For example, the The Coi Eco-Tourism Project at the rented forest environment area under Tan Phu Protected Forest Management Board (Dinh Quan District), which involves renting 10 points within Tan Phu protected forest covering about 480 hectares, aims to build eco-tourism, relaxation, and entertainment facilities in the rented forest environment area. However, after more than 10 years, the project has not been approved due to numerous regulations regarding renting forest environments, construction investment, and investment in roads and electricity.

The "Southern National Medicinal Plant Garden at Dong Nai Nature - Culture Reserve" project remains on paper after many years of implementation. The reserve continues to propose, request support, and especially address policy and mechanism obstacles to implement the project.

Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Le Van Goi, commented: “We have long achieved the task of protecting forest water sources, absorbing carbon emissions, and providing timber and forest products. However, the great potential for developing the economy under the forest canopy remains untapped, even though many households have planted medicinal plants under the forest canopy, but still fragmented, small-scale, and inefficient." Forest workers are still puzzled about finding solutions for forest economy development. Here, it is necessary to create livelihoods for the forest so that one day the forest can sustain itself without state funding for maintenance and protection as it has been. However, forest economy models remain difficult to implement or replicate in practice due to legal barriers. According to Mr. Goi, the government has recognized these legal obstacles and is working to remove them. Dong Nai is also very interested in supporting and accompanying businesses and forest growers, creating a favorable environment to attract investment in forest economy development in the future.