Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development CARD Project Progress Report 032/05VIE Sustainable and profitable development of acacia plantations for sawlog production in Vietnam MS2: FIRST SIX-MONTHLY REPORT 6 October 2006 1 1. Institute Information Project Name Sustainable and profitable development of acacia plantations for sawlog production in Vietnam Vietnamese Institution Forest Science Institute of Vietnam Vietnamese Project Team Leader Dr Ha Huy Thinh Australian Organisation Ensis Australian Personnel Dr Chris Harwood, Dr Sadanandan Nambiar, Dr Chris Beadle, Mr Khongsak Pinyopusarerk Date commenced 1/03/2006 Completion date (original) 31/12/2008 Completion date (revised) Reporting period 1/03/2006 – 1/09/2006 Contact Officer(s) In Australia: Team Leader Name: Dr Chris Harwood Telephone: +61-3-62267964 Position: Principal Research Scientist Fax: +61-3-7901 Organisation Ensis Email: Chris.harwood@ensisjv.com In Australia: Administrative contact Name: Linda Berkhan Telephone: +61-3-95452222 Position: Contracts Officer Fax: +61-3-95452446 Organisation Ensis Email: Linda.berkhan@ensisjv.com In Vietnam Name: Dr Ha Huy Thinh Telephone: +84-4-8389813 Position: Director, Research Centre for Forest Tree Improvement Fax: +84-4-8369722 Organisation FSIV Email: rcfti 2 2. Project Abstract This project supports the development of profitable smallholder tree plantations in Central Vietnam, growing high-value acacia sawlogs for Vietnam’s solid-wood processing industries. The project builds the scientific capacity of the Forest Science Institute of Vietnam (FSIV) to breed acacia varieties most suited to sawlog production, and to conduct applied silvicultural research to support sustainable and profitable plantations. It will strengthen the extension capacity of provincial and local forest development authorities to demonstrate optimum growing technologies for the improved acacia breeds, and will help tree-farmer groups to optimise financial and labour inputs to suit their local circumstances. Project components include: • Formulation of silvicultural guidelines for sustainable acacia sawlog production • Selection of most appropriate breeds for sawlog plantations in central and northern Vietnam, and planning for further genetic improvement to improve sawlog value • Field trials to compare extensive and intensive silvicultural treatments and determine best technologies to boost productivity, sawlog yields, profitability and sustainability for farmers • Financial models to help growers judge profitability and select best silvicultural methods • Training in Australia and Vietnam for managers, scientists, technicians and extension officers. The initial project activities are described in the Executive Summary and Section 5. 3. Executive Summary The project is progressing well. The project inception visit to Vietnam was made in March- April 2006, by Australian project staff Dr Chris Harwood, Dr Chris Beadle and Dr Sadanandan Nambiar. A formal inception meeting with FSIV project staff was held on March 27, at which all objectives, outputs and activities of the project were thoroughly discussed. Dr Nambiar made a preliminary inspection of the FSIV analytical laboratories in Hanoi (Activity 5.4) and will develop a detailed plan for follow-up action during his next visit in September 2007. From March 26 to April 7, field visits were made to project sites in Central Vietnam. Drs Harwood, Beadle and Nambiar, accompanied by FSIV project staff, inspected candidate sites for a long-term sustainability trial (Output 3.4) at Dong Ha, Quang Tri Province. We were able to locate a secure, relatively uniform site on the FSIV Centre for Forest Research and Production, Northern Central Vietnam at Dong Ha, which presently carries a 9-year-old, productive plantation of acacia hybrid that is soon to be harvested. FSIV staff subsequently measured sample plots and excavated soil pits in the existing mature plantation at the chosen trial site to examine site variation so as to assist design of the experiment. Drs Harwood and Beadle then inspected candidate sites for thinning/pruning trials at Dong Hoi, Quang Binh Province (Output 3.1) and laid out a one-hectare thinning trial there in a 2-year-old acacia hybrid plantation. Subsequently, FSIV staff led by Mr Dang Thinh Trieu established this trial successfully in May 2006, following written trial establishment guidelines provided by Dr Beadle. Drs Beadle and Harwood then travelled to southern Vietnam and inspected genetic and silvicultural trials and the CIFOR sustainability trial, accompanied by FSIV project scientists Mr Phi Hong Hai and Mr Vu Dinh Huong. Project funds for the first 12 months of operations, as per the project budget, were transferred from Ensis to FSIV in April 2006. 3 The two-week study tour of Australia (Output 4.1) was conducted over the period May 27 – June 10, 2006. Four senior science managers from FSIV and MARD took part and were accompanied by four other managers sponsored by CARD Project 033/05 “Field evaluation and advanced vegetative mass-propagation technology for scaling up high-value plantations. All eight participants visited laboratory and field research relevant to both projects in Tasmania, Mt Gambier and SE Queensland. Further discussions were held on project development and management during this visit. Detailed arrangements were made for visits to Vietnam by Drs Harwood, Nambiar and Beadle before the end of calendar year 2006 to implement scheduled project activities. Drs Harwood and Nambiar made a project visit to Vietnam in September 2006, details will be reported in the next 6-month progress report. During the review period, good progress was made towards achieving Output 1 (the review of best available acacia planting material) and Output 2, (the preparation of silvicultural guidelines). 4. Introduction & Background The overall project purpose is to generate and improve incomes for forest growers, particularly poor forest farmers in the rural areas of central and northern Vietnam, through the development of sustainable and profitable acacia plantations for sawlog production. The project will formulate “best-bet” silvicultural guidelines for sustainable acacia sawlog production based on Vietnamese and overseas experience. It will also review progress in acacia genetic improvement in Vietnam with the specific aim of selecting the most appropriate acacia breeds for sawlog plantations in central and northern Vietnam, and will develop a strategy for further genetic improvement to improve acacia sawlog value. Further genetic improvement will depend on a better understanding of the quality requirements of Vietnam’s wood-processing industries, which will be obtained through surveys of sawmills and wood manufacturing plants. Field trials will be established to compare extensive and intensive silvicultural treatments and determine and demonstrate best technologies to improve plantation productivity and sustainability, sawlog yields and quality, and profitability for farmers. Simple spreadsheet- based financial models will be developed, incorporating existing knowledge and project results, to help extension agents and growers to judge profitability of sawlog regimes for acacia plantations and select the best silvicultural methods for their situations. A study tour and training courses will be conducted in Australia for Vietnamese scientists and managers, to expose them to the management and research environments underpinning established sawlog-growing industries. Training courses will also be conducted in Vietnam for scientists, technicians, forest extension officers and tree farmers. These courses will emphasise hands-on training in the field and visits to the project’s demonstration field trials. Extension materials including written guidelines, posters and audio-visual materials will be produced. These materials will be used by extension agents to describe the technology package developed by the project to a wider target audience of tree farmers. The scientific capacity of FSIV will be strengthened through acquisition of additional equipment for wood quality analysis. Advice will be provided on upgrading FSIV Hanoi laboratory facilities for chemical analysis of soil and plant samples. 4 The project will achieve capacity building through a combination of formal and on-the-job training, and at the same time establish field trials that will serve as demonstrations of the recommended technologies, provide valuable results in the short term to underpin sawlog growing, and establish a major experimental site for long-term studies of plantation sustainability. The project incorporates three training courses for forestry extension agents and lead farmers to enable them learn a technology package for acacia sawlog production, and production of written and audio-visual extension materials to support a wider dissemination to tree growers across Vietnam. 5. Progress to Date 5.1 Implementation Highlights The project inception visit to Vietnam was made in March-April 2006, by Australian project staff Dr Chris Harwood, Dr Chris Beadle and Dr Sadanandan Nambiar. A formal inception meeting with FSIV project staff was held on March 27, at which all activities of the project were thoroughly discussed. Dr Nambiar made a preliminary inspection of the FSIV analytical laboratories in Hanoi (Activity 5.4) and formulated a plan for follow-up action on his next visit. From March 26 to April 7, field visits were made to project sites in Central Vietnam. Drs Harwood, Beadle and Nambiar, accompanied by FSIV project staff, inspected candidate sites for a long-term sustainability trial (Output 3.4) at Dong Ha, Quang Tri Province. FSIV staff subsequently measured sample plots and excavated soil pits in the existing mature plantation at the chosen trial site to examine site variation to assist design of the experiment. Drs Harwood and Beadle then inspected candidate sites for thinning/pruning trials at Dong Hoi, Quang Binh Province (Output 3.1) and laid out a one-hectare thinning trial there in a 2-year- old acacia hybrid plantation. Subsequently, FSIV staff led by Mr Dang Thinh Trieu established this trial successfully in May 2006, following written trial establishment guidelines provided by Dr Beadle. Drs Beadle and Harwood then travelled to southern Vietnam and inspected genetic and silvicultural trials and the CIFOR sustainability trial, accompanied by FSIV project scientists Mr Phi Hong Hai and Mr Vu Dinh Huong. Project funds for the first 12 months of operations, as per the project budget, were transferred from Ensis to FSIV in April 2006. The two-week study tour of Australia (Output 4.1) was conducted over the period May 27 – June 10, 2006. Four senior science managers from FSIV and MARD took part: Dr Pham Van Mach Deputy Director, Department of Science and Technology, MARD Prof. Le Dinh Kha Scientific Advisor, Research Centre for Forest Tree Improvement, Forest Science Institute of Vietnam Dr Tran Van Con Director, Silviculture Division, FSIV Mr Pham Dinh Tam Director, Forest Science and Technology Application Centre They were accompanied by four other managers sponsored by CARD Project 033/05 “Field evaluation and advanced vegetative mass-propagation technology for scaling up high-value plantations of Pinus caribaea and related hybrids in Vietnam”: Dr Ha Huy Thinh Director, Research Centre for Forest Tree Improvement, FSIV Dr Tran Van Con Director, Silviculture Division, FSIV Mr Huu Vinh Tung Director, Lam Dong Silviculture and Experiment Station Centre, FSIV Dr Huynh Duc Nhan Director, Forest Research Centre, Phu Ninh (Vinapaco) 5 All eight participants visited laboratory and field research relevant to both projects in Tasmania, Mt Gambier and SE Queensland. Further discussions were held on project development and management during this visit. Detailed arrangements were made for visits to Vietnam by Drs Harwood, Nambiar and Beadle before the end of calendar year 2006 to implement scheduled project activities. During the review period, good progress was made towards achieving Output 1 (the review of best available acacia planting material) and Output 2, (the preparation of silvicultural guidelines). 5.2 Smallholder Benefits The project has not yet delivered direct benefits to smallholders, but this will occur later during the project lifetime. 5.3 Capacity Building Through a study tour to Australia in May-June 2006, the project has given eight senior forest managers in MARD an appreciation of forest research that underpins plantation sustainability and silviculture for sawlog production in Australia. Scientist in FSIV’s Silviculture Division have received training in the setting up of scientific trials to estimate the growth response to thinning. 5.4 Publicity No major publicity events have yet taken place. However, the study tour to Australia introduced the project to senior officials in MARD. Comprehensive photographic records of field visits will enable production of publicity articles during the next six months. 5.5 Project Management Project management is proceeding well. Face-to-face planning meetings occurred during the Inception Visit in March 2006, and the study tour to Australia in May-June 2006. Regular contact (several times per month) has been maintained between Ensis and FSIV by e-mail and telephone, throughout the project to date. Since the project was formulated, Dr Trieu Van Hung, the nominated Vietnamese Project Leader, has left FSIV to become Director of the Department of Science and Technology in MARD. In view of Dr Hung’s heavy workload, it was decided that Dr Ha Huy Thinh of FSIV should take over the role of Project Leader. 6. Report on Cross-Cutting Issues 6.1 Environment No specific issues have arisen during the reporting period. 6 6.2 Gender and Social Issues No specific issues have arisen during the reporting period. Gender balance in the scientific and technical staff receiving training in the course of the project has been identified as an issue requiring close attention. 7. Implementation & Sustainability Issues 7.1 Issues and Constraints No major obstacles to the successful implementation of the project have emerged to date. 7.2 Options Not applicable – project is proceeding as planned 7.3 Sustainability As can be seen in the following Section, implementation of scheduled project activities over the next six-month period will be critical for the success and ultimate sustainability of the project. 8. Next Critical Steps The silvicultural guidelines for acacia sawlog production and the review of genetic material and propagation techniques will be completed and reports provided to CARD. Drs Harwood and Nambiar will visit Vietnam in September 2006 and Dr Beadle will visit in November 2006, to guide several project activities. Guidelines for upgrading of the Hanoi laboratory facilities will be provided. The major field trial to determine sustainability will be established at Dong Ha, Central Vietnam. Additional silvicultural trials in young acacia plantations will be established in central and northern Vietnam. Participants will be selected and arrangements will be finalised for the 3-week training course to be conducted in Australia for six Vietnamese scientists in March 2007. 9. Conclusion Not applicable 7 . generate and improve incomes for forest growers, particularly poor forest farmers in the rural areas of central and northern Vietnam, through the development of sustainable and profitable acacia plantations. MS2: FIRST SIX-MONTHLY REPORT 6 October 2006 1 1. Institute Information Project Name Sustainable and profitable development of acacia plantations for sawlog production. Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development CARD Project Progress Report 032/05VIE Sustainable and profitable development of acacia plantations for sawlog production in Vietnam