PRESS RELEASE
Future Forests (Fiji) Ltd, a company listed on the South Pacific Stock Exchange and operators of the first teak plantation in Fiji commenced milling of 50+ year old growth Teak in Viti Levu.
General Manager Masum Buksh is heard saying that “Teak (Tectona grandis) is the world’s best maritime timber for boats and a good hardwood for indoor and outdoor flooring, doors and furnishings.
With the arrival of the two transportable mills we can now offer to the public a variety of local timbers such as Teak, but also Pine, Mahogany, Dakua (Kaurie) and Vesi (Merbau).”
The logs are milled to client specifications. The company can supply single slabs up to 5 meters (16.5feet), milled lumber, turning blanks and large timber burls.
Other services that Future Forests Fiji offers to the public are Contract Planting and Contract Plantation Management. The benefit of these services is that landowners are assisted in establishing their own valuable forests with the company’s assistance and expertise. They assist with soil analysis, offer advice on suitable tree species and on plantation management with the intention to provide landowners an income from idle lands in the medium and long-term future.
The net area of the company’s own Teak forest plantation now stands at around 248 Ha and is up from the 203.68 Ha at 2012 year end. The Teak forest plantation in Ra Province stands at 200 Ha and Nadroga Province stands at 48 Ha. Thinnings of their first 7-8 year old Teak plots provided small round logs that are suitable to manufacture small furnishings and products that were on display at the company’s booth at the Lautoka Agricultural Show last month.
The company’s nursery in Mataso in Ra currently produces around 15,000 seedlings per month to sustain the planting of 10 Ha per month. Surplus Teak seedlings as well as other indigenous and introduced species are for sale to the public from their nursery in Mataso.
Meanwhile, the milling activity indicates another milestone for the company.