KUCHING: WTK Holdings Bhd has reported a 42 per cent jump in log production volume in the July-September 2024 quarter (3Q2024) to 77,977 cubic metres (cu m) from 54,832 cu m in 3Q2023.
However, the 3Q2024 production output was down by 13 per cent compared to the immediate preceding quarter (2Q2024) of 89,816 cu m, according to the quarterly production figures WTK filed with Bursa Malaysia.
In the first nine months of 2024 (9m2024), WTK’s log production volume surged by 49 per cent to 241,261 cu m from 162,120 cu m in 9m2023.
The 9m2024 production volume has already exceeded the total production of 204,000 cu m recorded for the whole year of 2023 by 40,800 cu m (+19.8%).
Last month, WTK reported log production of 30,102 cu m.
Sibu-based WTK group has eight timber concession areas with size of about 402,000 hectares and reforested area of 62,000 hectares in Sarawak, mainly along Baleh River and Rajang River in the central region.
On the performance of the group’s oil palm sector, WTK generated a 10 per cent increase in fresh fruit bunches (FFB) production to 65,907 tonnes in 3Q2024 (3Q2023: 60,076 tonnes) which was also higher than 2Q2024 of 59,925 tonnes.
However, during the same period, the group’s crude palm oil (CPO) production output fell by four per cent to 15,476 tonnes (16,139 tonnes). The 2Q2024 output was much lower at 14,125 tonnes.
Palm kernel (PK) production volume dropped by 12 per cent to 3,300 tonnes in 3Q2024 (3Q2023: 3,755 tonnes) but was higher than 3,018 tonnes recorded in 2Q2024.
In 9m2024, WTK group had delivered substantial increases in the production volume of FFB, CPO and PK as compared to that of 9m2023.
FFB output surged by 43 per cent to 175,100 tonnes (122,650 tonnes), CPO output expanded by 41 per cent to 41,900 tonnes (29,726 tonnes) and PK output climbed by 31 per cent to 8,882 tonnes (6,804 tonnes).
Last month, the group reported FFB volume of 20,223 tonnes, CPO of 4,504 tonnes and PK of 910 tonnes.
Meanwhile, BLD Plantation Bhd posted 8.46 per cent drop in CPO output of 34,636 tonnes in 3Q2024 (3Q2023: 37,836 tonnes) and a 7.56 per cent fall in PK volume to 7,219 tonnes (7,811 tonnes).
However, the 3Q2024 CPO and PK production volumes were an increase of 19.18 per cent and 22.27 per cent from 29,061 tonnes and 5,904 tonnes respectively registered in 2Q2024.
In 9m2024, BLD’s CPO and PK production volumes expanded by 9.84 per cent and 14.26 per cent to 89,081 tonnes (9m2023: 81,085 tonnes) and 18,408 tonnes (16,110 tonnes) respectively.
Last month, BLD reported CPO output of 11,898 tonnes and PK volume of 2,482 tonnes.
Another Sarawak-based plantation company, Rimbunan Sawit Bhd reported a 14.28 per cent increase in FFB production in 3Q2024 to 85,088 tonnes (3Q2023: 74,455 tonnes) and surged by 16.38 per cent from 73,113 tonnes in 2Q2024.
However, CPO output shrank by 5.77 per cent to 28,360 tonnes in 3Q2024 (3Q2023: 30,098 tonnes) but was substantial higher by 28.43 per cent from 22,082 tonnes in 2Q2024.
Likewise, PK output fell by 6.36 per cent to 6,239 tonnes in 3Q2024 (6,662 tonnes) but rose by 25.41 tonnes from 4,975 tonnes in 2Q2024.
In 9m2024, Rimbunan Sawit’s FFB volume grew by 20.17 per cent to 214,265 tonnes (9m2023: 176,300 tonnes) but CPO volume declined by 10.87 per cent to 69,046 tonnes (77,470 tonnes) and PK volume decreased by 12.75 per cent to 15,304 tonnes (17,542 tonnes).
As at December 2023, Rimbunan Sawit group had 16 oil palm estates with total planted area of 43,031 hectares.
