Teak was introduced to Vietnam in the early 20^th century and has well adapted to a wide range of  climatic conditions, yielding 7-16 m³/ha/year over a 20-25 year rotation. However, its area coverage remains limited compared to other species like Acacia and Eucalyptus, which occupy about 2.5 million hectares in total. In Vietnam, where about 70% of plantation lands are owned by households; one major constraint for teak development is its longer rotation length, approximately four times that of Acacia, despite its higher economic returns.

The demand for high-quality timber, including teak, has steadily increased in Vietnam, particularly for the furniture industry, with export values growing by 15% annually to reach US$15.7 billion in 2022. Teak is seen as a valuable species for large-dimension timber plantations, a direction encouraged by the government. The project “Promoting quality timber production in smallholders and community-based Teak and other valuable species plantations in the Tropics” offers Vietnam an opportunity to access high-quality planting stock and learn best silviculture practices for plantations. It aims to improve economic outcomes for growers, particularly smallholders in Vietnam and the broader Mekong Sub-region.