THE export value of Sarawak’s wood pellets for the first quarter of 2024 was RM22 million, a 118 per cent increase compared to RM10 million in the same period of 2023.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan attributed this surge to the environmentally friendly nature of wood pellets, which are used as fuel for generating electricity.
“The main markets for Sarawak’s wood pellets are Japan and the Netherlands. Biomass products, especially wood pellets, have significant potential in both domestic and export markets due to sustainable raw material sources.
“This opportunity should be capitalised on by the timber industry players in Sarawak,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech today.
Awang Tengah, who is also Second Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development, noted that timber product exports for the first quarter of 2024 amounted to RM682 million, reflecting a 9 per cent decrease from RM752 million in the corresponding period of 2023.
“Japan remained the top importer of Sarawak’s timber products, accounting for RM387 million or 57 per cent of total imports. Other major markets included India with RM104 million, China (RM46 million), Taiwan (RM29 million), and the Philippines (RM23 million).
Meanwhile, he said revealed efforts by the Sarawak Wood Industry Development Corporation (PUSAKA) to develop guidelines such as the Engineered Wood Product Blueprint and Sarawak Bamboo Industry Development Policy.
He said these guidelines aim to transform the timber and bamboo industry landscape in Sarawak. Additionally, PUSAKA has set a target of planting 10,000 hectares of bamboo by 2030 through private sector partnerships and community involvement.
“Sarawak’s bamboo industry is still in its an early stage. Therefore, with the initiatives implemented by PUSAKA, it is expected to help develop the bamboo industry in Sarawak to potentially produce bamboo-based products for the domestic market and compete to penetrate the global market,” he said.
