Malaysia will spend up to RM3bil to increase timber plantations in a bid to ensure the sustainability of wood-related industries. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that they hoped to increase timber plantations to 375,000ha by 2020. "We need to ensure the sustainability of the raw material for the wood industry. This industry is important for the country as it generated RM20bil in exports last year," he said.The wood industry contributed 14.1% of exports for the commodity industry totalling RM141.2bil last year, he told reporters at the launch of the Glu Laminated Timber gallery in Johor Baru here on Tuesday. He said that, so far, RM600mil had been spent on programmes to increase timber plantations nationwide.
Showing posts with label Plantation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Plantation. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Plantation timber in Sabah hit the 1 million cubic metre
KOTA KINABALU: Production of plantation timber in Sabah hit the 1 million cubic metre mark last year with a total production of 1,234,777.75 cubic metres, a first for the state, Sabah Forestry director Datuk Sam Mannan said today. He said total production from plantation timber had increased by 141 per cent since 2001 with Acacia mangium showing the most significant increase at 231 per cent, making it the major plantation species produced over the last 10 years."Last year, Acacia mangium accounted for 87 per cent of the total production of plantation timber, followed by Eucalyptus grandis at 11 per cent, Gmelina arborea at 1 per cent and others at 1 per cent.
"Utilisation of rubber wood however remains small despite the extensive land clearing of old rubber plantations for replanting of new rubber trees," he said in a statement here Sabah Forest Industries Sdn Bhd (SFI) accounted for 60 per cent of last year's production, making it Sabah's biggest plantation timber producer, followed by Sabah Forestry Development Authority (Safoda) at 16 per cent, Sabah Softwoods Bhd at 12 per cent and Benta Wawasan Sdn Bhd at 11 per cent, he said.In terms of production by land status, he said 58 per cent of plantation timber was produced from forest reserves, with alienated lands at 26 per cent and state lands at 16 per cent. Meanwhile, log production from natural forests was approximately 2.6 million cubic metres, higher than plantation timber, he said, adding the state's goal of making plantation timber the major source of raw materials for the timber industry can be achieved if the current trend continues.
"Utilisation of rubber wood however remains small despite the extensive land clearing of old rubber plantations for replanting of new rubber trees," he said in a statement here Sabah Forest Industries Sdn Bhd (SFI) accounted for 60 per cent of last year's production, making it Sabah's biggest plantation timber producer, followed by Sabah Forestry Development Authority (Safoda) at 16 per cent, Sabah Softwoods Bhd at 12 per cent and Benta Wawasan Sdn Bhd at 11 per cent, he said.In terms of production by land status, he said 58 per cent of plantation timber was produced from forest reserves, with alienated lands at 26 per cent and state lands at 16 per cent. Meanwhile, log production from natural forests was approximately 2.6 million cubic metres, higher than plantation timber, he said, adding the state's goal of making plantation timber the major source of raw materials for the timber industry can be achieved if the current trend continues.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
UTM to reforest rubber plantation
UNIVERSITI Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has engaged the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) to help reforest an old rubber plantation located in its campus in Skudai, Johor, starting this year with a 10-ha area to be planted with high quality timber species.
The signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between UTM and FRIM to provide for this project to be undertaken over a period of five years was held on 30 April 2012 at the UTM Skudai campus in Johor Bahru. Representing the Malaysian Forestry Research and Development Board (MFRDB) was the FRIM Director General (DG) Dato’ Dr Abd Latif Mohmod, while the university was represented by its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dato’ Ir Dr Zaini Ujang. According to Abd Latif, FRIM will use a different planting method known as “Systematic Cluster Planting”, which allows the old rubber trees to remain and gradually be replaced with the selected species with a target density of 350-500 trees per ha. The selected timber species include meranti, chengal, keruing, merbau, nyatoh and jelutong. The reforestation project also includes the cultivation of 30 local and exotic commercial bamboo species which can be used for construction as well as the setting up of a herbal garden within the 10-ha area.
FRIM has been involved in reforestation activities for about 100 years. Its main campus in Kepong is a model for successful reforestation, making it one of the oldest and largest man-made tropical forests in the world. FRIM has also been successful in rehabilitating and reforesting an ex-tin mining area of 115 ha in Bidor, Perak, and some 50-ha of BRIS soil site in Terengganu. Recently, FRIM has also be appointed by a private firm to reforest an ex-mining area in Pengkalan Hulu, Perak, using the fast tract system to plant fast-growing tree species over a period of five years. The FRIM-UTM MOU will also pave the way for the establishment of a twin campus programme, in line with the university’s aim to work towards an Eco Tropical JB Campus and the attainment of a world class quality innovative education in tropical environment.
Among others, the MOU provides for exchange of researchers, staff and students for mutual benefits including undertaking joint research assignments or projects which may result in joint reports, publication and study visits; exchange of information on the system and structure of higher education, reforms and new educational technologies; training and capacity building; and other areas of cooperation in forestry and forest products research. Also present to witness the signing ceremony were UTM Vice Chancellor (Development) Prof. Ir Dr Wahid Omar, Dr Maketab Muhamed, Prof. Dr Zuklifli Yusop and Assoc. Prof. Dr Abd Latif Saleh from UTM; and FRIM Forest Plantation Programme Head, Dr Ahmad Zuhaidi Yahya, Senior Researcher, Dr Hashim Md Noor and Corporate Management Head, Puan Norhayati Nordin.
The signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between UTM and FRIM to provide for this project to be undertaken over a period of five years was held on 30 April 2012 at the UTM Skudai campus in Johor Bahru. Representing the Malaysian Forestry Research and Development Board (MFRDB) was the FRIM Director General (DG) Dato’ Dr Abd Latif Mohmod, while the university was represented by its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dato’ Ir Dr Zaini Ujang. According to Abd Latif, FRIM will use a different planting method known as “Systematic Cluster Planting”, which allows the old rubber trees to remain and gradually be replaced with the selected species with a target density of 350-500 trees per ha. The selected timber species include meranti, chengal, keruing, merbau, nyatoh and jelutong. The reforestation project also includes the cultivation of 30 local and exotic commercial bamboo species which can be used for construction as well as the setting up of a herbal garden within the 10-ha area.
FRIM has been involved in reforestation activities for about 100 years. Its main campus in Kepong is a model for successful reforestation, making it one of the oldest and largest man-made tropical forests in the world. FRIM has also been successful in rehabilitating and reforesting an ex-tin mining area of 115 ha in Bidor, Perak, and some 50-ha of BRIS soil site in Terengganu. Recently, FRIM has also be appointed by a private firm to reforest an ex-mining area in Pengkalan Hulu, Perak, using the fast tract system to plant fast-growing tree species over a period of five years. The FRIM-UTM MOU will also pave the way for the establishment of a twin campus programme, in line with the university’s aim to work towards an Eco Tropical JB Campus and the attainment of a world class quality innovative education in tropical environment.
Among others, the MOU provides for exchange of researchers, staff and students for mutual benefits including undertaking joint research assignments or projects which may result in joint reports, publication and study visits; exchange of information on the system and structure of higher education, reforms and new educational technologies; training and capacity building; and other areas of cooperation in forestry and forest products research. Also present to witness the signing ceremony were UTM Vice Chancellor (Development) Prof. Ir Dr Wahid Omar, Dr Maketab Muhamed, Prof. Dr Zuklifli Yusop and Assoc. Prof. Dr Abd Latif Saleh from UTM; and FRIM Forest Plantation Programme Head, Dr Ahmad Zuhaidi Yahya, Senior Researcher, Dr Hashim Md Noor and Corporate Management Head, Puan Norhayati Nordin.
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