Kota Kinabalu: Top Sabah Forestry Department officials were on hand to receive a historic cargo of 2,088 cubic metres of Industrial Timber Plantation (ITP) logs in Sandakan on Thursday.
In an unprecedented FMU (Forest Management Unit) breakthrough, Jawala Plantation Industries Sdn Bhd (FMU-14) made history as the first company in Sabah to successfully harvest Laran on a commercial scale under the ITP programme.
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The shipment came after a large-scale harvesting, which commenced in late March.
In marking this historical occasion, Chief Conservator of Forest, Datuk Zulkifli Suara, and Group CEO of Jawala Inc, Rahman Khan, were present to officially receive the ITP Laran and Albizia-loaded barge at Sinora mill Sandakan.
The barge was loaded with a volume of 2,088m3 of 7-and-8-year old plantation logs. Jawala began its involvement in the ITP programme in 2016-2017 through land preparation activities, adopting a high-volume, low-cost landscape planting approach.
Planting operations officially commenced in April 2018. To date, the company has established approximately 4,600 hectares of fast-growing hardwood species, namely Laran (Neolamarckia cadamba) being the most dominant species at 80pc or 3,680 hectares and Albizia.
After only eight and seven years of growth, these plantations have demonstrated remarkable productivity, yielding up to seven times more timber volume than many natural tropical timber species.
With a rotation period of only eight years, compared to 30-40 years for natural forests, Industrial Timber Plantations offer a sustainable and efficient alternative for timber production.
This achievement highlights the significant potential of ITPs in supporting the long-term sustainability of Sabah’s timber industry while reducing pressure on natural forest resources.
The successful commercial harvest by Jawala provides clear evidence that fast-growing species such as Laran and Albizia can serve as viable substitutes for traditional tropical timber, delivering high yields within a much shorter timeframe.
