BINTULU, June 15 – Sarawak-based timber company, Samling Group, has achieved significant success with its tissue culture-derived Eucalyptus hybrid plantations, demonstrating potential to enhance both productivity and sustainability.
This success was revealed during a technical briefing by the company to the Forest Department Sarawak (FDS) recently, where the hybrid plantations have demonstrated over 50 per cent higher Mean Annual Increment (MAI) when compared to traditional seed-derived plantations.
“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,” FDS said in a statement today.
It said this large-scale propagation aligns with Sarawak’s goal of achieving sustainable, high-performing, and commercially viable forest plantations.
The briefing was after an official visit by FDS director, Datuk Hamden Mohammad, to Samling Group’s Plant Tissue Culture facilities in Bintulu recently.
The visit underscored the importance of innovation and strategic public-private partnerships to accelerate Sarawak’s forestry transformation.
The event was hosted by Samling Group chief operating officer, Yap Fui Fook, and joined by researchers from FDS and the company, the statement added.
