(VOVworld) -  Many provinces held New Year Tree Planting festivals today in commemoration of President Ho Chi Minh and launched a 2014 afforestation campaign.

President Ho Chi Minh launched the New Year Tree Planting campaign in 1960 (Photo:kinhtenongthon.com.vn)

People in Bac Kan province planted 12,000 ha of forest. La Thi Huyen, Vice Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of Bach Thong commune, Bac Kan province, said: "The New Year Tree Planting festival goes hand in hand with the afforestation campaign. Focusing on scattered planting, we plan to plant 1,350 ha of forest, increasing forest coverage to 71.5%."

The New Year Tree Planting festival in Ha Giang Province will end on February 28. Locals intend to plant more than 110,000 ha of forest, increasing forest coverage to 60% by 2015. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development asked locals to select high-quality varieties and properly distribute planting areas.

Students of the Hanoi University of Agriculture plant trees

Nguyen Duc Vinh, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ha Giang province, said: "Every commune has its own afforestation plan. We are focusing on planting trees which serve the timber industry and erosion control. Local authorities are urged to administer planting. Following this year’s motto, local residents take charge of forest management."

People in Ha Nam province plan to plant 350,000 trees of various kinds.