Dreaming for the future

But every day, even in the cold of the northern winter, he stands by the front door of his house to gaze at the forest with pride and happiness. The trees were all planted by him and his family over 50 years, and his life has been dedicated to growing and protecting them. Cao belongs to the Dao ethnic group, and lives in Tan Dan Commune in Ha Long Town of Quang Ninh Province, home to the world-famous bay. Trieu Tai Cao at his home in Ha Long in Quang Ninh Province. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Cuong. The Dao used to be nomadic, felling forests to meet their temporary land needs for cattle and crops before moving on. It was not until 1968 that they started to settle. By then Cao had started thinking about growing trees. He began to look around for seedlings of valuable timber trees such as ironwood, shorea and apitong. Between 1970 and 1980 he and his family planted those and other trees on 32 hectares (80 acres). They faced a lot of challenges in protecting the forest initially because there were no regulations for transferring forest lands to local residents, meaning his family had no authority to manage the forest. In 1992 the government announced a policy of handing over forests for people to maintain and exploit sustainably. "I love our family’s forest," Cao says. "Thanks to that policy, I could continue growing timber while many people around us opted for growing wattle, also known as acacia." Growing acacia takes less time and effort and starts providing an income sooner than timber. Now the forest has around 600 ironwood trees aged 40-70 years besides hundreds of other timber trees. Trieu Tien Loc in his family’s forest in Ha Long in Quang Ninh Province. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Cuong. "I am close to death now and have fulfilled my wish to leave the future generations a forest with such valuable trees. "Forests are humans’ lungs and should not be treated as public property. So I also wish my children and …

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Growing tomatoes via smartphones and sitting on the top of mountain selling vegetables to the US from a distance are what some Vietnamese farmers are doing today. “People may think that farming means being completely wrapped up in working in the fields or orchards from morning to evening. But they are wrong,” said Nguyen Duc Huy, who runs a tomato and hydroponic vegetable farm in Da Lat City. Huy said the major work of modern farmers is operating smartphones. With an internet-connected smartphone, he can control the development of his tomatoes and hydroponic vegetables at any time, no matter where he is. After sensors analyze soil conditions and suggest the farming process, Huy just needs to press a button on his smartphone to activate the system which can automatically take care of plants in accordance with set programs. Huy just needs to use a small number of workers to supervise the operation of the machines in the farm. He began growing beef and picota tomatoes in 2013, after obtaining a master’s degree in biology. However, with the traditional cultivation method, the profit from picota tomatoes was just enough to cover the expenses on seedlings because of the low yield. After failure caused by heavy reliance on natural conditions, Huy decided to create software to specifically control his field. The software connects with a smartphone and computer, and has a tool that understands the ecological happenings in the field, and suggests the best commands. Like Huy, Nguyen Van Phuc, a farmer with the Suoi Thong Safe Vegetable Cooperative, for the last two years is no longer carrying water on his shoulder to irrigate vegetables. He just checks and enters data into smartphone. Growing tomatoes via smartphones and sitting on the top of mountain selling vegetables to the US from a distance are what some Vietnamese farmers are doing today. Pointing to the smartphone, Phuc said the device determines farmers’ fate. The figures about crops, …

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The Hanoitimes - Developments along the Red river will play an important role in driving Hanoi's future. Hanoi needs to remove obstacles to soon implement the zoning plan of the riparian areas on both sides of the Red river that runs through the city, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue has said. Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue speaks at the meeting on July 8. Photo: Viet Thanh At a working session with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on July 8, Hue said that Hanoi needs to complete the zoning plans, including the plan on both sides of the Red river and making full use of the land resources in the riparian areas along the river banks. In order to carry out the plan on both sides of the Red river and other rivers, it is required to make a flood drainage plan. Therefore, the municipal Party chief suggested that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should work out and submit to the Vietnamese government for approval a flood drainage plan for the riparian areas. As the zoning plan has not been devised, land resources in Hanoi have not been made full use of. No one wants to make long-term investments in the riparian areas as winning bidders are only entitled to the land usufruct for five years. "The riparian areas in Dan Phuong and Hoai Duc districts are immense but left fallow. There is a large riparian area in Hoan Kiem district which has been left unused because of the lack of a zoning plan," Hue said. Therefore, the Hanoi city government wants to work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in setting plans to create the basis for planning on both sides of the Red river, the municipal Party chief stressed. Hanoi wants to build an ecological urban area on both sides of the Red river. Photo: Ngoc Thanh For his part, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung said that in 2018, the municipal government …

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