Enhancing Transparency in Forest Management
In 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development approved the rollout of the Vietnam Legal Timber Traceability System (iTwood). Tuyen Quang was selected as one of five pilot provinces to pioneer plantation ID registration.
This system allows enterprises to document and verify every step of the production process, satisfying rigorous origin-verification standards in export markets. By utilizing smart devices, stakeholders can access real-time data on plot locations, forest health, and visual field records. This digital oversight improves supervision and operational control while significantly cutting administrative time and costs.
The application of forest plot IDs strengthens transparency across the supply chain. It supports Tuyen Quang’s ambition to establish a high-tech forestry zone, positioning the province as a regional growth hub in Northern Vietnam.
Acacia plantations of Yen Son Forestry Company in Trung Son Commune, now integrated into the forest plot identification system
Following two years of implementation, over 5,272 hectares of plantation forest in Tuyen Quang have been digitally registered. This includes 2,350 hectares managed by Son Duong Forestry Company, 1,278 hectares by Yen Son Forestry Company, 1,190 hectares by Tuyen Binh Forestry Company, and over 500 hectares owned by individual households across key forestry communes.
The iTwood system serves as the technical backbone, enabling real-time monitoring of the timber supply chain. Each stage—from planting and harvesting to trade—is linked through a unique identifier, ensuring a continuous "digital thread" of timber legality. Cloud-based technology ensures that origin tracing is both instantaneous and unerringly accurate.
In the era of digital transformation, mapping forest areas with comprehensive data on ownership, land-use rights, and geographic coordinates provides a sophisticated, long-term governance tool for sustainable development.
Meeting Global Export Standards
With nearly 190,000 hectares of production forest and an annual harvest of approximately one million cubic meters (accounting for 23% of the northern midland and mountainous region's output), Tuyen Quang is a timber powerhouse. In this context, securing plantation IDs is a pressing necessity to bolster the brand value and competitive edge of the province’s timber products.
In today’s market, products backed by transparent data and verifiable origins consistently command higher trust and premium market access.
Acacia stands in Minh Thanh Commune managed by Son Duong Forestry Company, verified with plantation IDs
Mr. Nguyen Hong Thai, Director of Son Duong Forestry Company, noted that the company has assigned digital identities to more than 2,150 forest plots, covering roughly 2,350 hectares. “Assigning IDs allows for granular management down to each plot and sub-compartment, fulfilling the strict traceability demands of export-oriented buyers. This also catalyzes our shift toward digital forestry and cooperative-based models,” he explained.
Forest identification is no longer just a technical hurdle; it is the digital key to Tuyen Quang’s global integration. As data flows seamlessly from the soil to the shipping container, the timber value chain becomes fully transparent, enhancing credibility in the international arena.
Aligned with the goal of a high-tech forestry hub, scaling up digital forest tagging will provide a solid foundation for modern governance and sustainable economic growth, reinforcing Tuyen Quang’s status as a leading national supplier in the digital age.
Nguyen Thanh Hieu
From a Vietnamese article on the Tuyen Quang online
