KUCHING: Planted forest licence holders intending to carry out planting of non-timber species are required to obtain permission from the Sarawak Forest Department.
They should obtain a written permission from the Director of Forests by submitting a written application together with the proposed amendment to the Tree Planting Plan, the department said in a recent circular to all planted forest licence holders.
The circular states: “Pursuant to the Revised Policy Direction on Industrial Forest Plantation in Sarawak on 22nd January 2020 wherein the Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development agreed and approved a proposal to encourage inter-planting of non-timber species, such as bamboo, rattan, pharmaceutical or medicinal species etc, as one of the mechanisms to achieve one million hectares of planted forests by 2025.
“Now any holder of a licence of planted forests who intends to carry out such planting of non-timber species shall obtain a written permission from the Director of Forest by submitting a written application together with the proposed amendment to the Tree Planting Plan (TPP),” added the circular, which was reported in the latest issue of International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) Tropical Timber Market Report (July16-31, 2023).
Meanwhile, during the recent Malaysian Wood Expo (MWE) 2023, the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), in collaboration with the Malaysian Timber Council MTC), successfully matched 88 Malaysian producers of wood products with foreign buyers from 23 countries, capturing RM147 million in export orders.
MWE’s sales in 2023 reached an impressive RM182.5 million, marking a significant increase compared to its sales of about RM140 million in 2019.
MWE 2023 sales were largely driven by its “incoming buying mission” which was one of the major highlights of the expo, according to MTC.
A total of 773 business meetings took place during the “incoming buying mission. “The products of interest to these foreign buyers were plywood, medium density fireboard (MDF), veneer, wooden doors, wood flooring and furniture products.
MTC chairman Zainal Abidin Abdullah said MTC is steadfast in its commitment to nurture the growth of the Malaysian timber industry.
“Both MATRADE and MTC will continue to provide valuable platforms and initiatives for Malaysian companies to expand their export opportunities and strengthen their global presence, “ he added.
Among the top export destinations for the Malaysian timber products are the United States, Japan and China.
