Sulawesi teakwood estates

JAKARTA (JP): The Southeast Sulawesi administration has set itself an ambitious target of expanding teak estates in the province from about 10,000 hectares (ha) to 60,000 ha within the next 23 years.

J. Soeripto, chief of the Southeast Sulawesi office of the forestry ministry, said in Kendari yesterday that the province, which in the early 1900s was the second largest teakwood producer in the country after Java with a total of 80,000 ha of teak forests, now has only 8,000 ha.

He added that teak estate development is being undertaken by private investors and state companies.

Two companies -- PT Tunggalagatis and PT Guhara -- have also been licensed by the forestry ministry to develop 206,000 ha of timber estates in the province using tree species other than teak, Soeripto was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.(01)