KUCHING: Wood-based industries may soon see a boost in raw material from Sarawak's 250,000ha of planted forest.

State Forests director Datuk Len Talif Salleh said fast-growing species like acacia, which were planted more than 10 years ago, have matured and were being harvested for utilisation on a trial basis.

“We have planted over 400 million commercial trees,” he told reporters after launching the Planted Forest Week cum exhibition yesterday.

On average, between 1,100 and 1,200 trees are planted for every hectare. Acacia made up 76% of the timber species planted in Sarawak, followed by batai (8%), kelampayan (8%) and eucalyptus (6%).

Sarawak Timber Association chairman Datuk Wong Kie Yik (left) and Datuk Len Talif Salleh looking at the various fast growing commercial tree species after the launch of Planted Forest Week on Monday.

Len Talif, who is also state Planning and Resource Management Ministry's deputy permanent secretary, said Sarawak had issued 42 licences for planted forest projects, with a total plantable area of 1.3 million ha.

The target is to achieve 1 million ha of planted forest by 2020. He said the yields from planted forest was 10 times more than natural forests and this would help ease the pressure for companies that harvest from natural forests.

The Forest Department estimates an annual production yield of 30 million cu m from the 1 million ha planted forest. About 11 million cu m of timber is harversted a year in Sarawak for exports and supply to wood processing mills.

According to a recent study by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, two-thirds of potential industrial wood production can be sourced from planted forests. The study noted that planted forests had become increasingly critical to future wood supplies.