Call to improve timber value

THE Director of PNG Forest Institute in Lae, Dr Martin Golman, has called for institutions to work together to promote the downstream processing of timber and improve its value.
He made this call last Friday during a workshop by several partners from PNG and Australia to enhance value-added wood processing in the country.
“Collaborative support from organisations can improve downstream processing of timber in the country. Only 20 per cent of timber is processed here while 80 per cent is exported and processed overseas so we must work together to increase that,” he said.
Dr Golman highlighted that processing of timber in the country promoted the Governments’ policy of downstream processing.
“Small-scale timber producers who produce 500 to 5,000 cubic metres of timber can treat and process their timber before exporting,” he said.
Head of the Department of Forestry at University of Technology Dr Mex Peki said that downstream processing of timber could be improved through more research.
“By 2030, we want more than 80 per cent of our timber to be processed here in the country. This can be achieved through continuous support from institutions,” he said.
The workshop was funded by the by Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, PNG Forest Research Institute, Unitech, PNG Timber and Forest Industry Training College and PNG Forest Industries Association.