The State of Teak (Tectona Grandis L.F.) Plantations in the World
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PLANTATIONS DE TECK DANS LE MONDE S Y N O P S I S THE STATE OF TEAK (TECTONA GRANDIS L.F.) PLANTATIONS IN THE WORLD IVAN BEHAGHEL Teak (Tectona grandis) is a species whose plantations in the world, with some 1.3 mil- much less importance to this species and its timber is much sought-after in joinery, partic- lion hectares. But the forestry policies in these exploitation. It embarked upon reforestation ularly because of the quality of its grain, its countries differ. sites at a later stage and over smaller areas. hue, and its resistance to various forms of rot The earliest plots date from 1942. The total and mould. Its natural distribution area cov- Myanmar is the only country of the four area today covers around 2 500 ha. ers 25 million hectares in Myanmar (14 mil- which still exports teak logs from natural lion), India (9 million), Thailand (2 million) forests. The earliest plantations are extremely OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES and Laos (20 000). In these stands, it is usu- old (dating from 1825), and the early foresters were very dynamic. One of them, Plenty of countries are planting teak as a pri- ally mixed with other species. Although teak ority species, in order to produce good qual- resources were very plentiful to begin with, Brandis, developed the taungya method, consisting in cultivating the spaces between ity timber, both for home consumption and they no longer suffice to meet the very high for export. The most dynamic countries are demand from Asian countries, Europe and teak saplings for the first few years. This method has been widely adopted by all Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, each with some the United States in a sustainable way. So 70 000 ha, followed by the Philippines with more than 2.5 million hectares of plan- other countries, including in Africa and the Americas. Planting slackened off in the early (15 000 ha), Vietnam (14 000 ha), tations, teak is nowadays one of the most Malaysia, and so on... widely planted forest species in the world, years of this century, due to onslaughts from wood parasites and political upheavals. But behind Eucalyptus grandis and Eucalyptus AFRICA AND THE AMERICAS camalduensis, which each cover some 3 mil- it regained its momentum in the 1960s, ris- lion hectares. ing from 150 ha/year to 1 000 ha/year, Africa and the Americas together account for with peaks in the 1980s, when the area 10% of world plantations. Teak was intro- PLANTATIONS IN INDONESIA planted exceeded 10 000 ha/year. At the duced into Africa, in Nigeria, at the end of Indonesia is something of a special case, be- present time, the total area planted is reck- the 19th century, and into the Americas, in cause teak was introduced into the island of oned to be 225 000 ha. Trinidad, in 1913, but was not developed Java, for reasons both religious and econom- straightaway on either continent. In certain In India, despite logging-restrictive mea- countries, on the other hand, the vogue for ic, by Hindu monks, in the 14th century, with sures introduced into natural forests in the seed from India. Here, teak found very good this species has been expanding constantly early 19th century, planting teak to renew since 1960, and the annual increase in growing conditions. It regenerates naturally this species has swiftly become a real neces- in several sites in the island, and so much so areas planted to teak is very marked. This is sity. A forestry department was set up in the case in Africa with Côte d’Ivoire (42 000 that at the turn of the century it was even 1864 to this end. From 1950 on, the pace of thought to come originally from Indonesia. ha), Nigeria (40 000 ha), Ghana plantation was stepped up, reaching 50 000 (30 000 ha), Sudan (14 000 ha) and The Dutch discovered teak in Indonesia in the ha/year in some years. Up until 1990, most Tanzania (5 000 ha), and in the Americas 17th century and very swiftly started to log it plantations were in the hands of State com- with Costa Rica (24 000 ha), Panama intensively. In the early 19th century, rules re- panies with financing provided by backers (13 000 ha), and Brazil (10 000 ha). stricting logging were drawn up, at the same and sponsors. Since 1990, a certain number time as Forest Management Centres were set of private companies have come into the pic- Ten years ago, these plantations, far away up by the State, with an economic goal. ture, attracted by the market supporting this from the original distribution area, represent- These centres, which were at first answerable species. Today, India is the world’s number ed a negligible factor in terms of the overall to the Ministry of Agriculture, became inde- two country in terms of teak plantations, just teak wood trade. Nowadays, though, they pendent, and assumed a special status in behind Indonesia, with about 1 million are having an ever greater influence on the 1961, with the name of Perhutani. In 1978, hectares. market, because of low production costs they formed two groups : Persero Perhutani (since yields are usually higher than in the on the island of Kalimantan, and Perum Thailand, in the 1960s, banned teak-log ex- original distribution area) and the good qual- Perhutani, on the island of Java. This latter ports and subsequently set in motion major ity of their timber. has become quite important and presides public reforestation sites, which totalled over the largest man-made teak forest in the 6 000 ha/year in the 1970s, The govern- FUTURE TRENDS world, totalling almost 1.1 million hectares, ment then encouraged village plantations The area of teak plantations has doubled split into 650 000 hectares in production, in and plantations established by private indus- since 1950, and is still expanding in more other words actively managed, and trial companies, such as the Forest Industry than 50 countries, due to the vogue for this 450 000 hectares that are “protected”, en- Organization. To stimulate these pro- species. Teak wood production, which is cur- compassing fairly inaccessible plots that are grammes, it handed out subsidies for planta- rently estimated at 4 million cu.m, will rise to not logged, and old plots that are unman- tions and set up a system of tax incentives... more than 20 million cu.m by the year 2020. aged, and regenerate naturally. The forested area where plantations are The very strong demand for the timber of this being established today at the rate of species should absorb this production. Based PLANTATIONS IN COUNTRIES WITH 160 000 ha/year is still expanding. on quality, marked price swings are to be ex- NATURAL DISTRIBUTION AREAS pected for this timber. The number one quali- The countries with natural distribution areas Laos, where the area naturally covered with ty criterion will be the log diameter, followed for teak (Myanmar, India, Thailand and teak is much smaller (50 000 ha) than in the by the density of the wood, its colour and its Laos) alone account for almost half the teak other three countries, has always attached shelf life. 18 BOIS ET FORÊTS DES TROPIQUES, 1999, N° 262 (4) PLANTATIONS VILLAGEOISES DE TECK S Y N O P S I S TEAK FROM VILLAGE PLANTATIONS IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE GINÈS MALDONADO, DOMINIQUE LOUPPE At the beginning of 1999, teak plantations The oldest village teak stands seem to be lo- for log exports to India, from both public cover an area of almost 55 000 ha in Côte cated in the Centre (Bouake, Sakasu) and in teak forests and from village forests. Despite d’Ivoire, with 10% outside the State-owned the North of Côte d’Ivoire (Odienne, the low productivity and the defects of vil- public forests. In the countryside, teak is not Korhogo, Ferkesedugu, Dabakala), but teak lage teak logs, most village teak plantations only present in small and large stands but trees have recently been widely planted have been much logged. Because of excep- also scattered here and there in the land- over almost the whole country, except the tionally good conditions of profitability scape. evergreen forest zone to the South. (more or less free access, farmers under-in- Introduced 70 years ago, teak (Tectona Despite effective ownership of the land, vil- formed about the teak timber trade and grandis Linn. f.) has been gradually adopt- lagers do not feel that they own their own value, etc.), a lot of loggers pounced on ed by country people who have learnt to trees because of old forestry laws that de- rural teak back in 1995 and still are. Teak know about and appreciate it. Numerous clare that all trees belong to the State au- prices are negotiated from 4 000 F CFA to e uses have been developed by farmers and thorities. Fortunately, the current forestry 15 000 F CFA (US$ 7 to 25, 6 to 23), some teak products are about to play an in- and land reform is about to change the situ- and even as much as 30 000 F CFA e creasing part in local economy. ation with planted trees. (US$ 51, 46) per cu.m. This is much less than the Sodefor teak price (before log- The article deals with the present situation THE USES OF TEAK ging) : 90 000 F CFA per cu.m (US$ 153, of village teak plantations, their common e 137) with a current average FOB price of uses and the products that farmers derive Teak is nevertheless much appreciated by US$ 250.