A vast area of the forest has been taken by local people to grow coffee and cassava.
According to the Kon Tum Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Dak Glei Forestry Company was provided with VND43 million per hectare in 2015 by local authorities to grow the pine forest.
"After nine years, many parts of the forest have been damaged by natural disasters or destroyed by local people for farmland," the department said. "During a recent inspection by local authorities, 5.3 hectares of forest have been totally damaged while 5.2 hectares have been illegally taken by local people to grow rice, coffee, and other crops. The company has shown a lack of responsibility in protecting the forest."
The department said that they have proposed to the Kon Tum Provincial People's Committee to ask the company to replant over 11 hectares of forest using their own funding. Fines would also be given to people who have illegally encroached and taken 5.2 hectares of forest for their farming.
Speaking to the media, the deputy director of Dak Glei Company, Pham Ngoc Hung, said that they are defining the violators in the forest losses and will replant the forest and tighten protection measures following instructions from local authorities.
