In Spring 1960, our beloved Uncle Ho initiated a New Year (Tet) tree planting movement, mobilising the entire people to make the country ever greener. Since then, whenever Spring and Tet come, people across the country respond actively to Uncle Ho’s call.

This activity has become a tradition, reflecting the country’s fine cultural identity and serving as a measure in promoting the protection of environment and eco-system for a ever greener and more sustainable nation.

Significant achievements have been made after 46 years of launching Tet tree planting movement in combination with forest protection and expansion. According to the statistics released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in 2005, the country planted 249.6 million assorted trees, about 161,340 hectares of concentrated forests, 622,509 hectares of recovered forests. Over 2.6 million hectares were allotted to local people for better management.

It is reported that the country’s forest coverage increased continuously from 23.6% in 1983, to 28% in 1992, 33.2% in 1999, 36.1% in 2003 and 37.5% in 2005. Many localities saw remarkable results in forest protection and expansion. Each province has developed its own farm model filled with plants, flowers and forests of high economic value. Some provinces in the midlands and mountainous regions focused on expanding the planting of special agro-forestry trees of high turnovers such as young bamboo, do trees (scientific name: rhamnoneuron, a paper making plant) and sandalwood and anis trees. Meanwhile, some other provinces saw increasing water resources in the service of production and daily life thanks to their appropriate forest planting and protection plans.

However, there is still a high degree of wild and waste land and an increase of forest deforestation and fires. The deployment of the five-million hectare forest planting project is still behind the schedule. In addition, the quality of forests is poor in a number of areas.

In order to deal with the above problems and promote the annual Tet tree planting festival in momory of Uncle Ho, all administrations and sectors at different levels and localities need to enhance the propaganda work concerning the importance of the Tet tree planting day. Efforts should be made in selecting good saplings, applying modern forest planting techniques and providing regular care to newly planted trees. Sectors, organisations, armed forces, schools and people across the country should have good plans to broaden this movement entitled “Plant Tet trees to forever remember Uncle Ho.”

It is believed that this year’s Tet tree planting day will see more practical results, thus meeting the country’s environmental, social and economic targets.