Community eucalyptus
plantations will boost industry
JEMPOL: C u l t i v a t i n g E u c a l y p t u s t r e e s in c o m m u n i t y
p l a n t a t i o n s o r g a n i s e d b y t h e M a l a y s i a n T i m b e r C o u n c i l (MTC) a n d M a l a y s i a n P l y w o o d M a n u f a c t u r e r s A s s o c i a t i o n (MPMA) c a n i n c r e a s e t h e w o o d s u p p l y a n d b o o s t M a l a y s i a ' s t i m b e r i n d u s t r y .
P l a n t a t i o n I n d u s t r i e s a n d C o m m o d i t i e s M i n i s t e r D a t u k Z u r a i d a K a m a r u d d i n said t h e local c o m m u n i t y can, via E u c a l y p t u s c o m m u n i t y p l a n t a t i o n s , u t i l i s e p r i v a t e l a n d f o r t h e p u r p o s e a n d e a r n a g o o d income.
S h e said f o r a s t a r t , t h e r e is a p i l o t p r o j e c t f o r t h e p r o g r a m m e c o m p r i s i n g 101.2 h e c t a r e s (ha)/250 a c r e s i n v o l v i n g 78 villagers in B a t u Kikir here.
"The c o m m u n i t y f a r m i n g c o n c e p t is a l r e a d y b e i n g p r a c t i s e d a b r o a d a n d s h o u l d
b e i m p l e m e n t e d i n o u r c o u n t r y n o w .
"The i n i t i a t i v e a l s o b o o s t s t h e f u r n i t u r e i n d u s t r y a n d t h e p r o j e c t c a n p r o v i d e a good i n c o m e t o t h e c o m m u n i t y t h a t h a s l a n d a l t h o u g h it m a y b e a s m a l l area," s h e t o l d r e p o r t e r s a f t e r o f f i c i a t i n g a t t h e P l u s I n t e r v e s t S d n Bhd's c o m m u n i t y n u r s e r y a n d p l a n t a t i o n .
MTC c h a i r m a n N o r r i d a Yusoff, MTC chief e x e c u t i v e officer M u h t a r Suhaili, MPMA c h a i r m a n D a t u k S h e i k h O t h m a n R a h m a n a n d P l u s I n t e r v e s t S d n Bhd m a n a g i n g d i r e c t o r D a t u k C h u a Hock Gee a t t e n d e d t h e e v e n t .
S h e said t h a t e v e r y 0.4 h a (one acre) c a n a c c o m m o d a t e a s m a n y a s 600 E y c a l y p t u s t r e e s a t RM200 p e r t r e e a n d it t a k e s six y e a r s t o yield a h a r v e s t .
"The o r g a n i s e r s will r e n t t h e l a n d f o r a p e r i o d of six y e a r s a t
RM300 p e r 0.4 h a a n d it is h o p e d t h a t t h i s p r o j e c t c a n b e c o m e t h e m a i n s o u r c e of r a w m a t e r i a l s f o r t h e t i m b e r i n d u s t r y in t h i s country," s h e said.
A c c o r d i n g t o Z u r a i d a , e v e r y l a n d o w n e r w h o w a n t s t o b e i n v o l v e d in t h e p r o g r a m m e will be given E u c a l y p t u s saplings a n d t h e F o r e s t R e s e a r c h I n s t i t u t e M a l a y s i a (FRIM) will g u i d e t h e m in t h e p l a n t i n g a n d c a r i n g process.
E u c a l y p t u s leaves c a n also b e p r o c e s s e d i n t o oil f o r t r a d i t i o n a l medicine.
She said t h e m o d u l e will b e d e v e l o p e d b y i n v o l v i n g n o n - g o v e r n m e n t a l o r g a n i s a t i o n s in o r d e r t o f i n d m o r e local c o m m u n i t i e s t o p a r t i c i p a t e in t h e p r o g r a m m e .
"There a r e c h a l l e n g e s f r o m t h e d o w n s t r e a m side of t h e t i m b e r sector; if t h e r e a r e n o t e n o u g h
r a w m a t e r i a l s in t h e f o r m of t i m b e r , t h e n it will b e difficult t o m e e t t h e d e m a n d of b u y e r s f r o m a b r o a d . On t h e 14-nation I n t e r n a t i o n a l A g r i - c o m m o d i t y T o u r I did t h i s year, I f o u n d t h a t M a l a y s i a n w o o d p r o d u c t s w e r e w e l l r e c e i v e d b e c a u s e t h e y a r e m o r e d u r a b l e a n d a r e c o m p e t i t i v e l y priced," s h e said.
S h e said q u a l i t y w o o d e n f u r n i t u r e p r o d u c t s w i t h good w o r k m a n s h i p a r e able t o a t t r a c t f o r e i g n i n v e s t o r s a n d b u y e r s , a n d t h e m a r k e t f o r w o o d - b a s e d p r o d u c t s is a s o u r c e of i n c o m e f o r t h e c o u n t r y b e c a u s e Malaysia is n o w t h e w o r l d ' s e i g h t h l a r g e s t e x p o r t i n g c o u n t r y .
Z u r a i d a said t h e t i m b e r i n d u s t r y r e c o r d e d e x p o r t s t o t a l l i n g RM13.2 billion in t h e first six m o n t h s of t h i s y e a r . — B e r n a m a
