Vietnam is launching a US$733m programme to plant 1.4 million ha of commercial forests by 2010.
A development strategy for 2005-2010 forecasts the country will need 16.4 million m3 of wood and 19 million m3 of firewood by 2010. Demand for bamboo and rattan is about 300,000-350,000 tonnes a year.
The government intends to plant high-yield trees of high economic value.
