| Malaysia: Minister seeks to raise plantation productivity |
| 03/09/2009 - 14:39 |
The Malaysian Minister of Plantation Industries and
Commodities, Mr. Bernard Dompok, said Malaysia needs
to maximize major plantation crop yields. Oil palms,
rubber trees and cocoa trees accounting for the bulk of the
crops, which the Minister is seeking to raise yields without
expanding Malaysia’s existing planted land area.
According to Bernama, he said the Ministry would
encourage ‘better planting materials, good agricultural
practices (GAP) and enhanced research and development
(R&D)’.
Currently, more than 70% of available agricultural land is
already planted with oil palms. The national crude palm
oil (CPO) yield stands at 4 tons per hectare annually.
However, some plantations are able to obtain a yield of 6
to 7 tons per ha. A study conducted by the Malaysian
standard organization, SIRIM Bhd, revealed that 2.65
million hectares of oil palm trees could yield up to 7
million tons of oil palm trunks and 26.2 million tons of oil
palm fronds annually. Oil palm fronds are a rich source of
fiber for the manufacture of MDF and other panel
products. The Minister continues to be hopeful that the
national CPO yield can be raised to 6 tons per hectare,
thus obviating the need to plant another 2 million hectares
of oil palms.
Rubber trees have historically been a popular plantation
species in Malaysia. The current yield of natural rubber
latex in Malaysia is 1.4 tons per hectare annually,
compared to Thailand, which has shown higher yields at
1.8 tons per hectare per annum. Currently, there are 1.24
million hectares of rubber trees in Malaysia. However, the
Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) has launched the latest
high-yield clone, RRIM 3001, that could yield 2 tons of
natural rubber latex per hectare per year. The MRB is also
working on creating future rubber clones that could yield
at least 2.0 m³ of rubberwood per tree to meet the demands
of the Malaysian furniture industry.
For timber under the country’s forest plantation
programme, the Ministry is looking to produce 75 million
m³ of timber by 2020 to meet the raw material
requirements of the Malaysian timber industry. Soft
commodities accounted for RM112.43 billion of the
country's exports in year 2008, or 17 % of Malaysia's total
exports.
Malaysia Log Prices
Malaysia
Log Prices
| Sarawak
log, FOB |
US$
per m³ |
| Meranti SQ up |
226-250 ⇓ |
|
Small
|
210-241 ⇓ |
|
Super small
|
200-224 |
| Keruing SQ up |
216-228 |
|
Small
|
190-220 ⇑ |
|
Super small
|
166-196 ⇑ |
| Kapur SQ up |
206-231 |
| Selangan Batu SQ up |
178-215 |
|
| Pen. Malaysia
logs, domestic (SQ) |
US$ per m³ |
| DR Meranti |
231-250 |
| Balau |
297-326 |
| Merbau |
319-352
|
| Rubberwood |
47-81 ⇑ |
| Keruing |
214-230 |
| Peninsular
Malaysian meranti logs are top grade and are used for scantlings for
the EU. Their prices are higher than Sarawaks. |
Malaysia
Sawnwood Prices
| Malaysia
Sawnwood,
FOB |
US$
per m³ |
| White Meranti A & up |
280-311
|
| Seraya Scantlings (75x125 KD) |
437-450 ⇓
|
| Sepetir Boards |
249-271
|
| Sesendok 25,50mm |
346-364
|
| Kembang Semangkok |
294-317
|
|
| Malaysian
Sawnwood, domestic |
US$ per m³
|
| Balau (25&50mm,100mm+) |
325-345
|
| Merbau |
570-509 ⇓
|
| Kempas 50mmx (75,100 & 125mm) |
260-300
|
| Rubberwood |
25x75x660mm up |
197-247 ⇑
|
| 50-75mm Sq. |
238-270 ⇑
|
| >75mm Sq. |
260-289 ⇑
|
Malaysia Plywood Prices
| Malaysia
ply MR BB/CC, FOB |
US$
per m³ |
| 2.7mm |
408-470 ⇓
|
| 3mm |
386-416 ⇓
|
| 9mm & up |
332-404 ⇓
|
| Meranti ply
BB/CC, domestic |
US$ per m³ |
|
3mm
|
381-422 ⇓
|
|
12-18mm
|
315-344 ⇓
|
Other
Malaysia Panel Prices
| Malaysia,
Other Panels, FOB |
US$
per m³ |
| Particleboard Export 12mm & up |
226-249 ⇓
|
|
Domestic 12mm & up
|
211-228 ⇓
|
| MDF
Export 15-19mm |
281-313 ⇓
|
|
Domestic 12-18mm
|
270-288 ⇓
|
Malaysia
Added Value Product Prices
| Malaysia,
Mouldings, FOB |
US$
per m³ |
| Selagan Batu Decking |
531-541
|
| Red Meranti Mouldings 11x68/92mm x 7ft up |
|
Grade A
|
546-559
|
|
Grade B
|
499-508
|
Malaysia
Furniture and Parts Prices
| Malaysia,
Rubberwood, FOB |
US$ per piece |
| Semi-finished dining table solid laminated top
2.5'x4', extension leaf |
58-74
|
| As above, Oak Veneer |
65-79
|
| Windsor Chair |
57-59
|
| Colonial Chair |
55-60
|
| Queen Anne Chair (soft seat) |
without arm |
55-63
|
| with arm |
55-64
|
| Chair Seat 27x430x500mm |
43-48
|
| Rubberwood
Tabletop |
US$ per m³ |
| 22x760x1220mm sanded & edge
profiled |
|
Top Grade
|
551-583 |
|
Standard
|
536-554 |
|
| (ITTO's Tropical Timber Market Report) |
 |
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