Samling all out to get MTCS certification for its plantations, says its COO
Samling Timber Sdn Bhd is in full swing to obtain the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme ( MTCS) for its forest plantations.
“Our target is for each plantation to be certified before harvesting starts,” Samling Group of Companies chief operating officer James Ho said at the Sirim QAS International certificate presentation ceremony here yesterday.
He added that the timber-based company was also focussing on gaining market access through the value given to their timber and timber products by the MTCS certificate.
“Samling’s ability to say to our buyers that we are certified under MTCS in Malaysia or that we are certified by Forest Stewardship Council ( FSC) in New Zealand strengthens our already longestablished relationships with them and attracts the attention of prospective new buyers,” he explained.
He also said the certification would help generate added-value to the company by giving assurance that its plantation grown timber are eco-friendly products.
“A large part of the company’s future in the timber industry lies with its sustainable management of industrial tree plantations ( ITPs) that produce certified logs from which eco-products are produced,” he added.
To gain customers’ confidence, he said Samling would use the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) logo on their eco-friendly products.
Samling Group of Companies is an integrated forest resource, plantation and wood products company headquartered in Sarawak.
The group has an established international presence with strategically located operations in Malaysia, Guyana, New Zealand, Australia and China.
Samling has five active industrial plantations in northern Sarawak with more than 13 years’ experience in developing and managing ITPs in accordance with the industry’s best practices.