Forest Dept visits facility in Bintulu to explore latest bio-tech for planted forest devt
KUCHING (June 16): The Sarawak Forest Department (FDS) visited a plant tissue culture facility in Bintulu recently to explore the latest advancements in biotechnology for planted forest development.
The visit, led by the department's director Datu Hamden Mohammad, highlighted undertaking company Samling Group's commitment to applied innovation through the use of plant tissue culture — a biotechnological technique for the mass propagation of selected Eucalyptus clones, it said in a statement yesterday.
It said this method complements conventional propagation techniques, and offers an efficient alternative to produce high-quality planting materials for forest plantations.
During a technical briefing, Samling Group presented encouraging results from its tissue culture-derived Eucalyptus hybrid plantations, which have recorded over 50 per cent higher Mean Annual Increment (MAI) compared to conventional seed-derived plantations.
'These findings demonstrate strong potential for enhancing plantation productivity, promoting sustainability and strengthening Sarawak's timber industry.
'Looking ahead, Samling targets the production of 1.7 to 2.4 million plantlets in 2025/2026, with plans to scale up laboratory capacity to produce eight million plantlets annually, and eventually up to 25 million plantlets per year,' said FDS.
It said that this large-scale propagation aligns with the state's goal of achieving sustainable, high-performing and commercially viable forest plantations.
'The visit reaffirmed the importance of innovation and strategic public-private partnerships in accelerating the transformation of Sarawak's forestry sector, in line with the state's Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030,' it said. biotechnology Hamden Mohammad lead planted forest Sarawak Forest Department
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