Plywood output plan revised

JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Indonesian Wood Panel Producers (Apkindo) has revised downward the country's 1997 plywood production target to about 9.6 million cubic meters from 10 million cubic meters due to a lack of log supplies.

Apkindo executive chairman A. Tjipto Wignjoprajitno was quoted yesterday by Bisnis Indonesia as saying the country's plywood export target, therefore, would be lowered to 8.4 million cubic meters this year from 9.9 million cubic meters.

Indonesia last year produced 9.57 million cubic meters of plywood, of which 8.5 million cubic meters were exported, he said.

Tjipto said domestic plywood sales were expected to increase to 1.2 million cubic meters this year from 1.06 million cubic meters last year.

Tjipto said the price of Indonesian plywood on the world market increased to an average US$503 per cubic meter this year from $497 last year. (13)