3 April 2012, TheStar (biz.thestar.com.my) news - Production of plantation timber in Sabah hit the 1 million cubic metre mark last year with a total production of 1,234,777.75 cubic metres, a first for the state, Sabah Forestry director Datuk Sam Mannan said today.

He said total production from plantation timber had increased by 141 per cent since 2001 with Acacia mangium showing the most significant increase at 231 per cent, making it the major plantation species produced over the last 10 years.

"Last year, Acacia mangium accounted for 87 per cent of the total production of plantation timber, followed by Eucalyptus grandis at 11 per cent, Gmelina arborea at 1 per cent and others at 1 per cent.

"Utilisation of rubber wood however remains small despite the extensive land clearing of old rubber plantations for replanting of new rubber trees," he said in a statement here.

Sabah Forest Industries Sdn Bhd (SFI) accounted for 60 per cent of last year's production, making it Ssabah's biggest plantation timber producer, followed by Sabah Forestry Development Authority (Safoda) at 16 per cent, Sabah Softwoods Bhd at 12 per cent and Benta Wawasan Sdn Bhdat 11 per cent, he said.

In terms of production by land status, he said 58 per cent of plantation timber was produced from forest reserves, with alienated lands at 26 per cent and state lands at 16 per cent.

Meanwhile, log production from natural forests was approximately 2.6 million cubic metres, higher than plantation timber, he said, adding the state's goal of making plantation timber the major source of raw materials for the timber industry can be achieved if the current trend continues.