Teak forest management in Indonesia

Perum Perhutani, Gedung

ABSTRACT

Perum Perhutani is a State owned enterprise managing State Forests in Java and Madura on a
commercial basis and with responsibility to implement concurrent social welfare, economic
and national development directives. Its fief is 2.5 million ha and includes 1.081 million ha of
teak forest of which 0.837 million ha is suitable for the clear felling harvest system.
Management is through a Board of Planning in each provincial level unit which sets an
annual plan for implementation by a Forest District manager. The reforestation programme
averages annually 10,000 ha, 8,000 of teak. Establishment is generally by taungya, with
farmer rights to 0.25 ha; elsewhere a contract system operates. Direct seeding is employed
and Leucaena interplanted. Intensive weeding and thinning is applied; the rotation is 40-80
years. Annual production is 750,000 m3 teak log and 130,000 stacked meters of firewood. An
integrated wood industry converts to sawn timber, moulding and parquet. The industry is
supported by kilns, joinery and parquet plants. The market is domestic and export, either by
direct or contract sales. Teak improvement is in progress in the selection of superior trees,
and establishment of seedling and clonal seed orchards. Teak improvement objectives include
increased growth, better stem form and branching habit and resistance to pests and disease.
Rural community development includes village uplifting and the enhancement of people’s
skill and a better quality of life.

.INTRODUCTION

Perum Perhutani is an Indonesia State owned Forest Enterprise responsible for management
of the State owned forests in the islands of Java and Madura. As a State owned enterprise, it
is charged both with services for social welfare, and for profitable operation based on
business principles. To fulfill these tasks, it has to produce goods and services suitable to
meet the needs of people, and to actively take part in carrying out and supporting the
implementation of the Government’s policies and programmes in the fields of economic and
National development. The enterprise conducts all activities from establishment of
plantations, stand maintenance, forest protection, harvesting, product processing. Its
philosophy includes maximizing the utilization of the forest, sustainability of the forest
resource and environment and increasing the welfare of society, especially those living in,
and nearby to the forest.

The working territory covers 2.5 million ha and is divided into units: Unit I Central Java, Unit
II East Java and Unit III West Java. According to its function, the area is divided into 0.5
million ha protection forest, and the other 2 ha million into production forest. The production
forest includes several species, each defined to particular areas. The area of teak, Tectona
grandis, plantation covers 1.081 million ha in which 0.837 million ha suitable for the clear
felling harvest system. This area of 0.837 million ha includes some very old naturally
regenerated teak forest and some mixed species forest suitable for teak but not yet converted.
The future clear felled plantation reforested to teak may be in the order of 0.6 of the 0.8
million ha.
FOREST PLANNING

To achieve sustainable production, resource and environment control, forest management

operations based on several plans, are implemented through:

 Forest development plans which deal with surveying, mapping, yield regulation,
road network planning and preparation of the sustained yield plan;
 Corporate plans that include potentials, inventory and evaluation, SWOT analysis,
goal projection, strategic setting and programme formulation to implement the
strategies; and
 Development plans aimed at short cut steps or measures to be taken in attaining
specified goals within a defined period of time.

A Board of Planning in each Unit (Provincial level) has authority to define the Management
Plan (annually). This Plan is beyond the intervention level of the Forest District manager - the
executing agency. This is to guarantee and maintain, sustainable forest resource production.
A computerized forest resource information system and Geo Information System of Arcinfo
and llwis is being established to facilitate better forest plans in the near future.

REFORESTATION PROGRAMME

The reforestation programme is to increase the productivity of the forest land area.
Reforestation is implemented in cut over forest and unproductive areas such as bare and
shrub land, or low stocked areas resulting from the failure of earlier reforestation. The annual
area under the reforestation programme averages 10,000 ha - teak 8,000 ha and the rest other
species.

The taungya system is widely applied in reforesting logged over areas. This approach
provides mutual benefit to both Perum Perhutani and society, wherein local people are
engaged as farmers with the right of growing staple food crops, and the obligation to grow
forest trees. Each farmer has rights to 0.25 ha of land or 4 farmers per ha. The system
provides an additional income of about US$200-250 per year per farmer. Contract daily wage
systems usually operate in corridor or spot planting, labour are paid at the daily wage tariff.
This latter system is used in areas where it is impossible to apply the taungya system due to
absence of candidate farmers or to the physical terrain condition.

Direct seeding is applied in teak plantations at spacing of 3m × 1m. Rows of the legume
(Leucaena) are interplanted between teak rows to eliminate the disadvantage of monoculture
and to increase biodiversity, enrich the nitrogen content of the soil, provide forage resource
for animals and to establish a seed stand for the next plantation programme.
MANAGEMENT - FOREST STAND TENDING AND THINNING

The purpose of these activities is to establish high value forest - both in volume and quality -
at attributes the end of the rotation age and to retain soil fertility as well as environment.

Tending is required as successful teak plantations have specific environment conditions,

being intolerant both light and root competition. Activities include weeding, pruning,
thinning and protection against pests and diseases and from destructive agents as grazing and
fire.

Thinning is scheduled 5 times in the first twenty years and after that, every 10 years. The
number of trees thinned is stipulated in Stand Tables. Tree selection for retention has the
principal objective of having the best quality stand, and timber, by the end of the rotation.

HARVESTING

Harvesting is dominated by the logging operation and is oriented to labour intensive systems,
where as many as possible local people are employed within the constraints implied in the
forest business.

Girdling is applied two years before cutting. The rotation is 40-80 years depending on the
biophysical condition and on social factors. Annual production is 750,000 m3 logs, 130,000
stacked meters of fuelwood (1m × 1m × 1m). Due to the very high value of teak a registration
system has been developed to facilitate a monitoring system of the whole range of products,
and its effect starts from the stump in the field and proceeds to the end user.

PROCESSING AND MARKETING

The integrated teak wood industries consist of sawmills, veneer plants, kilns, moulding,
joinery and parquet plants. One industry set is established in Central Java and the other in
East Java. The aim is to: create maximum added value within the country, minimize waste,
open employment opportunities, and to stimulate the development of the surrounding area.

Marketing practices are aimed at both domestic and overseas end users. The marketing
system is managed through several systems as:

 Large scale auctions to serve big timber companies.

 Small auctions to serve local people.
 Direct sales to serve persons and home industries.
 Contract based sales to serve certain agencies and industries.
 Exports through the Agency system in Europe, USA, east Asia, Australia and Middle
East countries.
TREE IMPROVEMENT

A teak improvement programme was commenced in 1981 to improve the forest potential.
The objectives include: producing high value forest stands using genetically superior seed,
identifying the most suitable provenances for particular areas, improving the genetic
properties of trees with regard to growth, stem form, branching and resistance to pests and
diseases. Activities cover selection of superior trees and the establishment of clonal and
seedling seed orchards to produce enhanced quality seed.

RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

This effort started in 1973 with its main objectives as people’s welfare and a well managed
forest which in turn gives a better quality life. In 1981 the strategy and purpose became a
more conceptual and planned oriented approach, directed at the development of rural social
welfare.

Since then more endeavor has been aimed at the biophysical improvement of the villages,
enhancement of skill of the people, and opportunity creation to the local people to participate
in forest development. Agroforestry is implemented to increase the share of forest and
forestry in the improvement of living of the rural people in particular, and regional
development in general. There are supplementary activities to enhance the multiple use of
forest land as sericulture, beekeeping, recreation forest, wildlife breeding with support to
home and small scale industries.