Oil palm planting halt in Sarawak for timber firms

Big industry: A timber company’s harvest in Sarawak. The state embarked on the planted forest programme in 1997 to ensure sustainable supply of raw materials for the downstream timber-processing industries and to reduce pressure on the natural forest.

KUCHING: Timber companies holding licences for planted forests (LPFs) are no longer permitted to carry out any new oil palm planting in the licensed areas with immediate effect.

The LPF holders failing to complete the new tree planting plan by 2025 may have the unplanted areas taken back by the state authorities for re-issuance of new LPFs to potential investors.