‘Sarawak going into bamboo industry due to depleting production of timber logs'
KUCHING: The Sarawak government through the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) is embarking on programmes focusing on nontimber based materials for the timber industry such as bamboo.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the state government is committed to greater sustainable management of forest in view of the depleting production of logs from the state's natural forest.
“The plan is on the way for STIDC to do large scale bamboo plantation in collaboration with an industry player. We have also identified the land and are going to make use of this land for our final project,” he said when opening the seminar on Wood Utilisation in Construction Structure at a leading hotel here yesterday.
The Second Urban Development and Natural Resources Minister also pointed out that STIDC will be conducting training on upstream and processing activities of bamboo in preparation for the establishment of bamboo production project in the future.
“Bamboo can replace wood for use in many products such as flooring, furniture, charcoal and also building materials,” he said, adding that STIDC will also conduct programmes to promote bamboo as building materials for structural use in the local construction industry.
He noted that the Sarawak government, in its effort to enhance the existing forestry policy, will allow bamboo plantation in the existing Licence for Planted Forests (LPF) areas which are not able to be planted with trees to strengthen this endeavour.
“This is to allow the establishment of an integrated bamboo industry in the state so that more reliable and sustainable supply of bamboo can be secured for the local industry,” he remarked.
Awang Tengah, who is also STIDC chairman, said in order to move the timber industry forward, continuous research and development in timber utilisation needed to be done.