awakening the potential of hills and forests
Currently, many mountainous localities across the country are gradually asserting themselves in the journey of building new rural areas - "growing up from the ground, firmly thanks to the will of man" associated with environmental protection.
Coming to Hoa An commune, Tuyen Quang province in the last days of this year, it is easy to see healthy goats grazing on the hillsides, the image reflects a new direction in rural economic development here.
Taking advantage of mountainous terrain and abundant natural food sources, Hoa An commune has been encouraging people to shift their agricultural economic structure towards commodity production, in which goat raising is considered a suitable and effective direction.
In Lang Ren 2 village, many households have boldly invested in barns, expanding the scale of breeding goats and commercial goats. Ducks are raised in the form of free grazing, taking advantage of grasslands along hills and forest covers, both reducing feed costs and helping livestock develop naturally and reduce diseases.
The barn is usually made of bamboo and wood, raised high, airy, the floor is 50-70cm above the ground, ensuring hygiene and safety. With a reproductive cycle of about two generations per year, a female goat can give birth to 2-3 units per generation; after 7-8 months, it can be sold, bringing stable profits to the owner.
Mr. Dinh Van Long, a pioneer in the goat farming movement of Lang Ren 2 village, shared: "My family currently raises more than 20 breeding goats, selling about 10-15 goats per year, earning a profit of 30-40 million VND. Raising goats is not too hard, but it also takes advantage of the hills and forests, so everyone in the village is excited".
From Mr. Long's model, the goat farming movement spread strongly in the village. Currently, the whole village has nearly 30 households raising goats with a total of about 500 goats.
Not only stopping at the scale of households, some households have developed into large-scale livestock models. A typical example is Mr. Ha Duc Luan in Ba Hai village, who owns a herd of more than 100 goats, mainly Bach Thao and lai goats.
Mr. Luan said: "Taking advantage of the wide hillside and natural food sources, my family developed a large-scale commercial goat herd. Every year, I export dozens of pigs, earning hundreds of millions of VND; at the same time, creating seasonal jobs for some local workers".
According to the Hoa An commune government, the goat farming model not only brings clear economic efficiency, but also contributes to protecting the ecological environment, taking advantage of agricultural by-products, minimizing risks compared to other types of livestock such as buffaloes and cows.
Currently, the commune is coordinating with specialized agencies to open technical training courses, support preferential loans, guide the construction of biosafety barns and deploy a centralized goat farming model associated with the production - consumption chain.
Linking people's livelihoods with forest environmental protection
Not only awakening the potential of hills and forests, Tuyen Quang province also focuses on improving forest quality, preserving ecosystems and preventing natural disasters.
On September 6, 2025, the Provincial People's Committee issued a Plan to implement Decision No. 208/QD-TTg dated February 29, 2024 of the Prime Minister on developing the multi-purpose value of the forest ecosystem.
The plan aims to improve the efficiency of forest resource management and sustainable use; create jobs and increase income for people, especially ethnic minorities living near the forest; at the same time, promote production linkages, develop forest product value chains and ecotourism.
By 2030, the province strives to maintain an average of over 1.26 million m3 of raw materials exploited each year; 100% of wood for processing and consumption is of legal origin; the value of non-timber and medicinal forest products increases by at least 1.5 times compared to 2020; forest environmental service revenue increases by an average of 5%/year...
The rate of ethnic minority workers in the forestry sector reaches over 50%; at least 40% of workers are trained and coached.
For forest environmental services, the province will implement activities related to carbon absorption and storage, greenhouse gas emission reduction, landscape protection and biodiversity; effectively implement the C4G project funded by the CARE in Vietnam; maintain and expand forest environmental service payments and improve the efficiency of management and use of revenue sources.
Developing eco-tourism, resorts and community tourism is identified as an important direction to sustainably exploit the forest ecosystem. Tuyen Quang will fully implement approved projects, encourage businesses to invest in eco-tourism in special-use and protective forests; build typical tourism products associated with nature and indigenous culture; increase promotion on communication platforms.
The plan also sets out the task of researching and developing projects to support livelihoods for people living in special-use forests; developing a sustainable model of exploitation and processing of non-timber forest products associated with traditional culture; and preserving biodiversity in nature reserves. Promote land allocation and forest allocation, ensuring that all forest areas have owners to manage them in accordance with the law.
The plan requires agencies, units and localities to seriously implement, periodically report the implementation results to the Department of Agriculture and Environment for synthesis and submission to the Provincial People's Committee according to regulations.
This is an important concretization step to promote the role of the forest ecosystem as a source of multi-purpose resources, contributing to the development of the green economy, increasing income for people and ensuring sustainable development of Tuyen Quang province in the new period.
Next, the Provincial People's Committee also issued a Plan to implement Decision No. 171/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on improving forest quality to preserve the ecosystem, increase the ability to prevent natural disasters and respond to climate change by 2030 throughout the province.
The plan identifies key tasks, including first of all reviewing the forest status, specifically determining the area, location, and boundaries of areas that need to improve quality according to each type of forest and according to forest owners.
On that basis, agencies and localities will develop detailed projects, plans and plans for each area, selecting appropriate forest protection measures such as encroachment to promote regeneration, additional planting or enriching forests. Prioritize the use of native trees, multi-purpose trees, rare species or those that can adapt well to harsh terrain conditions.
Regarding implementation solutions, the plan requires strengthening propaganda about the role of forest ecosystems in conjunction with environmental protection, climate change response and sustainable development; promoting forestry legal education to forest owners and communities. The work of mobilizing people in special-use and protective forest areas to sign a commitment to protect the forest continues to be regularly implemented.
Synchronously implement mechanisms and policies according to the Forestry Law, guiding decrees and sustainable forestry development programs. At the same time, study and supplement policies to create conditions for the Forest Management Board and forest owners to promote economic potential under the forest canopy such as medicinal herbs, combined agriculture and forestry, development of ecosystem services and carbon absorption services of forests. Integrating resources from national target programs, public investment sources and socialized sources.
In terms of science and technology, promote research and selection of native tree varieties with high resistance; apply technology to culture tissue and produce high-quality varieties; rotate crops under forest canopy and develop non-timber forest products to improve people's livelihoods.
Eco-tourism, agricultural - forestry models combined with medicinal plant cultivation under the canopy of protective forests and production forests will be studied and applied in accordance with local conditions.
