By Desmond Davidson
KUCHING: A private researcher specialising in forestry said he could help the state government redefine its blueprint on getting the Penans to switch from being hunters and gatherers to farmers and planters. Dr Elli Luhat, who had over the years conducted extensive research on the state's most backward ethnic group, which gave up its nomadic life only 20 years ago, said the current policy of teaching the Penans to plant and farm was flawed. Despite the success of getting 97 per cent of them to give up their nomadic lifestyle, the Penans still hold strong to their tradition of eking out a living by going into the forest to hunt and gather edible plants for food.They do not plant or rear livestock."Don't force the Penans to do things that they find alien. They won't adapt."We know they find it difficult to adopt our methods of farming," Dr Luhat said after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between two non-governmental organisations, Yayasan Ikhlas and DLT Institute, on the development of "smart farming" in Sarawak.
The institute is adopting his concept in the smart farming programme.He pointed to the failure in getting the Penans to plant rice and tapioca as examples of the flaw in the state's policy."What they farm should be more suited to their environment."It should be more about meeting their needs and what they like to do."Dr Luhat said he could assist the state government in formulating a smart farming system for the Penans. His system seeks to harmonise the social, economic and environmental factors to achieve optimal benefits for the farmers. He said as such, better results could be achieved if the Penans were taught to do things that they were familiar with, like planting the agar wood (gaharu), which they often gathered for their own consumption.Planting the scented wood, he added, could also uplift the economic standing of the
Penan as they could also sell the excess.He said the wood could fetch as much as US$150,000 (RM523,500) per kg and the income derived could help them get out of the poverty trap.
Other economic activities "that are their thing" to undertake, Dr Luhat believed, were the rearing of ikan empurau and ikan kelah and wild boar. The ikan empurau, often described as the "swimming gold", fetches RM450 per kg in the market.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Gaharu - Pokok karas ‘seperti emas’
Gaharu daripada pokok itu cecah RM20,000 sekilogram atau hasilkan pendapatan RM800,000 bagi seekar tanaman
KUCHING: Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM) berusaha untuk menjadikan negara ini sebagai pusat pengeluar gaharu terbesar di rantau Asia kerana menyedari hasil lumayan sektor penanaman pokok karas sehingga mencecah RM800,000 seekar.
Timbalan Ketua Pengarah (Penyelidikan) FRIM Dato’ Dr Abdul Rashid Malik berkata, tiada tanaman lain yang dilihat mampu memberi pendapatan lumayan dan unik seperti pokok karas yang menghasilkan produk gaharu dan minyak atar. “Malaysia merupakan negara ketiga terbesar dunia sebagai pengeluar gaharu selepas India dan Indonesia, tetapi FRIM menjangka Malaysia mampu menjadi pusat pengeluar gaharu terbesar di rantau Asia dalam tempoh tujuh tahun akan datang. “Permintaan dunia terhadap produk gaharu yang berguna dalam penghasilan kosmetik dan perubatan ialah 4.5 juta kilogram dengan nilai RM18.4 bilion setahun,” katanya ketika ditemui pemberita selepas merasmikan seminar penanaman karas dan pengeluaran gaharu di sini, semalam.
Rashid menjelaskan, pokok karas mengeluarkan gaharu selepas mencapai usia matang, tujuh tahun. “Setiap batang pokok karas yang matang mampu mengeluarkan gaharu seberat antara satu hingga satu setengah kilogram, manakala harga sekilogram gaharu ialah dari RM4,000 hingga RM20,000, bergantung kepada gred,” katanya sambil menambah, 800 batang pokok karas mampu ditanam untuk setiap ekar. Ditanya mengenai permintaan pasaran terhadap produk gaharu, beliau memberi jaminan peserta tidak akan berdepan dengan masalah itu kerana hanya 35 peratus daripada permintaan dunia di 80 negara pengguna gaharu mampu dipenuhi, setakat ini.
Selain itu, katanya kelebihan tanaman pokok karas ialah ia serasi ditanam bersama tanaman lain seperti getah dan pisang serta tidak memerlukan penjagaan rapi, kecuali sentiasa memastikannya tidak ditenggelami air. Berikutan itu, orang ramai terutama golongan pekebun kecil negeri ini digesa supaya merebut peluang itu untuk menambah pendapatan masing-masing. “FRIM akan memantau setiap peserta yang berdaftar dengan Persatuan Gaharu Malaysia (PGM) dan Jabatan Perhutanan bagi memastikan tanaman pokok karas yang diusahakan berjaya mengeluarkan hasil maksimum,” katanya sambil menambah, dianggarkan 1,200 hektar pokok karas ditanam di seluruh negara.
Seminar yang dipengerusikan oleh Dr Azuhaida Yahya itu turut disertai oleh Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Batu Danau Paulus Palu Gumbang.
KUCHING: Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM) berusaha untuk menjadikan negara ini sebagai pusat pengeluar gaharu terbesar di rantau Asia kerana menyedari hasil lumayan sektor penanaman pokok karas sehingga mencecah RM800,000 seekar.
Timbalan Ketua Pengarah (Penyelidikan) FRIM Dato’ Dr Abdul Rashid Malik berkata, tiada tanaman lain yang dilihat mampu memberi pendapatan lumayan dan unik seperti pokok karas yang menghasilkan produk gaharu dan minyak atar. “Malaysia merupakan negara ketiga terbesar dunia sebagai pengeluar gaharu selepas India dan Indonesia, tetapi FRIM menjangka Malaysia mampu menjadi pusat pengeluar gaharu terbesar di rantau Asia dalam tempoh tujuh tahun akan datang. “Permintaan dunia terhadap produk gaharu yang berguna dalam penghasilan kosmetik dan perubatan ialah 4.5 juta kilogram dengan nilai RM18.4 bilion setahun,” katanya ketika ditemui pemberita selepas merasmikan seminar penanaman karas dan pengeluaran gaharu di sini, semalam.
Rashid menjelaskan, pokok karas mengeluarkan gaharu selepas mencapai usia matang, tujuh tahun. “Setiap batang pokok karas yang matang mampu mengeluarkan gaharu seberat antara satu hingga satu setengah kilogram, manakala harga sekilogram gaharu ialah dari RM4,000 hingga RM20,000, bergantung kepada gred,” katanya sambil menambah, 800 batang pokok karas mampu ditanam untuk setiap ekar. Ditanya mengenai permintaan pasaran terhadap produk gaharu, beliau memberi jaminan peserta tidak akan berdepan dengan masalah itu kerana hanya 35 peratus daripada permintaan dunia di 80 negara pengguna gaharu mampu dipenuhi, setakat ini.
Selain itu, katanya kelebihan tanaman pokok karas ialah ia serasi ditanam bersama tanaman lain seperti getah dan pisang serta tidak memerlukan penjagaan rapi, kecuali sentiasa memastikannya tidak ditenggelami air. Berikutan itu, orang ramai terutama golongan pekebun kecil negeri ini digesa supaya merebut peluang itu untuk menambah pendapatan masing-masing. “FRIM akan memantau setiap peserta yang berdaftar dengan Persatuan Gaharu Malaysia (PGM) dan Jabatan Perhutanan bagi memastikan tanaman pokok karas yang diusahakan berjaya mengeluarkan hasil maksimum,” katanya sambil menambah, dianggarkan 1,200 hektar pokok karas ditanam di seluruh negara.
Seminar yang dipengerusikan oleh Dr Azuhaida Yahya itu turut disertai oleh Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Batu Danau Paulus Palu Gumbang.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Agarwood
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pieces of Aquilaria wood lacking the dense and dark resinous agarwood caused by infection
Agarwood (or just Agar) is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria trees (large evergreens native to southeast Asia) when they become infected with a type of mold.
Prior to infection, the heartwood is relatively light and pale coloured, however as the infection progresses, the tree produces a dark aromatic resin in response to the attack, which results in a very dense, dark, resin embedded heartwood. The resin embedded wood is commonly called gaharu, jinko, aloeswood, agarwood, or oud (not to be confused with 'Bakhoor') and is valued in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, and thus is used for incense and perfumes.
One of the reasons for the relative rarity and high cost of agarwood is the depletion of the wild resource.[1] Since 1995 Aquilaria malaccensis, the primary source, has been listed in Appendix II (potentially threatened species) by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.[2]
Pieces of Aquilaria wood lacking the dense and dark resinous agarwood caused by infection
Agarwood (or just Agar) is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria trees (large evergreens native to southeast Asia) when they become infected with a type of mold.
Prior to infection, the heartwood is relatively light and pale coloured, however as the infection progresses, the tree produces a dark aromatic resin in response to the attack, which results in a very dense, dark, resin embedded heartwood. The resin embedded wood is commonly called gaharu, jinko, aloeswood, agarwood, or oud (not to be confused with 'Bakhoor') and is valued in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, and thus is used for incense and perfumes.
One of the reasons for the relative rarity and high cost of agarwood is the depletion of the wild resource.[1] Since 1995 Aquilaria malaccensis, the primary source, has been listed in Appendix II (potentially threatened species) by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.[2]
Agarwood
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pieces of Aquilaria wood lacking the dense and dark resinous agarwood caused by infection
Agarwood (or just Agar) is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria trees (large evergreens native to southeast Asia) when they become infected with a type of mold.
Prior to infection, the heartwood is relatively light and pale coloured, however as the infection progresses, the tree produces a dark aromatic resin in response to the attack, which results in a very dense, dark, resin embedded heartwood. The resin embedded wood is commonly called gaharu, jinko, aloeswood, agarwood, or oud (not to be confused with 'Bakhoor') and is valued in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, and thus is used for incense and perfumes.
One of the reasons for the relative rarity and high cost of agarwood is the depletion of the wild resource.[1] Since 1995 Aquilaria malaccensis, the primary source, has been listed in Appendix II (potentially threatened species) by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.[2]
Pieces of Aquilaria wood lacking the dense and dark resinous agarwood caused by infection
Agarwood (or just Agar) is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria trees (large evergreens native to southeast Asia) when they become infected with a type of mold.
Prior to infection, the heartwood is relatively light and pale coloured, however as the infection progresses, the tree produces a dark aromatic resin in response to the attack, which results in a very dense, dark, resin embedded heartwood. The resin embedded wood is commonly called gaharu, jinko, aloeswood, agarwood, or oud (not to be confused with 'Bakhoor') and is valued in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, and thus is used for incense and perfumes.
One of the reasons for the relative rarity and high cost of agarwood is the depletion of the wild resource.[1] Since 1995 Aquilaria malaccensis, the primary source, has been listed in Appendix II (potentially threatened species) by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.[2]
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