PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends the tree planting festival in Yen Bai province.

Prime Minister Phuc said the government and localities have set a target of achieving a forest coverage of 42 percent, earning at least 12 billion USD from wood and wooden furniture exports this year and 20 billion USD by 2025, turning Vietnam into a wood production and export mainstay in the next decade.

The leader urged departments, agencies,  organisations and local people to respond to the campaign, contributing to forest protection and development.

“The tree planting festival should be launched with the specific plan to protect forests and grow trees in residential areas to create green spaces. It’s necessary to attract investment for afforestation and apply technology on selecting tree varieties for intensive plantation, sustainable forest management, and biodiversity preservation. Afforestation should be in a par with wood processing and market expansion for wood products. We target to turn Vietnam into one of the world’s top wood producers and exporters in the next decade,” Mr. Phuc said.

Attending a tree planting festival in Phu Tho province on Thursday, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh called on all people to plant trees and protect forests as per the local conditions.