"This is indicated by the export of processed wood, which tends to increase with round wood production dominated by plantations," Nurbaya stated at a working meeting of the Indonesian Forest Entrepreneurs Association (APHI) in Jakarta on Tuesday.
She noted that the value of processed timber exports in 2017 was US$10.94 billion. It had increased compared to that of the previous year, at $9.26 billion.
In October 2018, processed wood exports were valued at $10.59 billion. Meanwhile, log production from natural forests amounted to 5.8 million cubic meters in 2017, and logs from industrial plantations amounted to 38 million cubic meters compared to 32 million cubic meters in 2016.
These figures show an upward trend in production volume. Production of logs from nature stood at 86.58 percent, which was contributed by the provinces of Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, Papua, and West Papua; and wood production from the forest stood at 98.43 percent of industrial plants from the provinces of Riau, Jambi, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, and Central Kalimantan.
China still dominated the market for Indonesia`s wood exports, which increased by 18.52 percent compared to 2017, followed by Japan and the United States.
As for the processed wood industry exports, it was worth $10.94 billion in 2017and $10.32 billion in 2016.
APHI is optimistic that investment in the forestry sector will increase despite a trade war between the United States and China.
"We are optimistic that investment in the forestry sector will increase. The area of forest and land fires is declining, and the handling of peat land has become a starting point for the forestry business sector to improve its performance in 2019," APHI Chairman Indroyono Soesilo pointed out.
One indicator of the increasing investment in the forestry sector is the strong performance of the upstream sector in 2018.
Reporting by Indriani
Editing by Eliswan Azly
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Yosep Hariyadi
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
