CITES Licence for Gaharu in Sarawak

CITES LICENCE REQUIRED FOR GAHARU TRADING IN SARAWAK

Thymelaeaceae
Aquilaria malaccensis
Gaharu engkaras

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Tree up to 40m tall and 60cm diameter.
Habitat: Very rare in lowland mixed dipterocarp forest up to 270m above sea level.
Distribution: Rare but widespread in Sarawak.
Note: The tree yields the incense wood from the heartwood of an old dying tree. It is used for ceremonial purposes. 

For more information log on to  
http://www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my/forweb/ourfor/flora/pp/pp.htm

Licence application and contact:
http://www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my/forweb/homepage/contact.htm

Ready For Field Planting Gaharu

I strongly recommend you to buy Gaharu plant from a reputable source. I have bought 10 trees 6 months ago and all grows very well now. Three died due to heat stress. Here are the informations that you may required.

Nursery address: Kampung Sg. Pinang,  Bau ( 500 meter from road junction), KM 22, Kuching/Batu Kawa/Bau Road, (Simpang Siniawan), Kuching, Sarawak.

Gaharu on sale and the species available:
1. Aquilaria Crassna (Vietnam) - 14 months - 20,000 seedlings available
2. Aquilaria Sub-Integra (Thailand) - 5-10 months - 15,000 seedlings available

Inoculation with fungus: 3 years after field planting

Price: RM 25.00 per seedling.

Contact Person: Mr Dawend at +6019-8192765 .
CITES certification can be arrange and also licencing requirement under Forestry Department.
http://www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my/forweb/homepage.htmhttp://www.forestry.sarawak.gov.my/forweb/homepage/contact.htm

Good growth planted in between Oil Palm trees

4 Months after field planting  Aquilaria Crassna bought from Mr Dawen's nursery

Gaharu: Try something more practicable

Try something more practicable

by Sidi Munan. Posted on November 14, 2010, Sunday

LAST year, the Penans were in the news again. This time it was reported that some of their women had been raped, allegedly by the loggers in the upper Baram. All together, women members of major political parties, in both government and opposition, pounced on the suspects.

NEW IDEAS: Elli and his gaharu tree.

A special committee was quickly set up by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to investigate the reports; the Opposition sent a memorandum seeking redress to injustice done; while some leaders doubted the rapes ever took place. The police were pressed to investigate quickly and bring the culprits to book. And the media had a field day.

The Penang government promised to chip in some RM30,000 to help the girls in trouble.

The police responded fast but after sometime into the investigations had to throw up their arms in despair: no victim was willing to provide evidence; no eyewitness to interview. No further action?

Suddenly, all fell silent; it was an anticlimax.

A year has now passed and we have not heard of the findings of the committee set up to find out the truth or the bluff of the reports.

While waiting for the details of the investigations, one way or the other,     some people think it would be better to do something more practicable for the community. Not that there has been any shortage of efforts all these years to bring them to the mainstream of development. Indeed, minister after minister      was assigned to look after the Penans. How successful are the various projects introduced in their area? Did we hear their    problems discussed during the Dewan Undangan Negeri meetings just  ended?

Recently, Datuk Shahril Samad came up with a proposal to help them through the activities of Yayasan Sejahtera.         With sufficient funds and political will, it would be humanly possible to implement whatever the Yayasan wants to do. No doubt we will hear more about the plan of which little details have been disclosed to the community concerned.

We will assume there will be something good out of it and wait and see what Shahril will pull out of his hat.

Meanwhile, I heard from Dr Elli Luhat that there is something that he can also do by way of assistance to the Penans. To find out more, I had a chat with him and visited his mini experimental plot at his BDC house.

While working as a forester with the Sarawak Forest Department for       21 years, Elli, a PhD graduate from the University of Texas, USA, spent a lot of time among the Penans in the Baram and Belaga areas. Now in retirement, he told me of his obligation to contribute his energy and expertise in lifting the socioeconomic status of his friends, especially those at Long Beruang.

He believes that some economically viable and sustainable projects under the concept of smart farming — a marriage between agro forestry and aquaculture — may help the Penans.

He has started an organisation, DLT, standing for Dr Luhat Technologies Institute, promoting the planting of gaharu bukit or agarwood (Aquilaria spp), jatropha, rubber as well as the rearing and breeding of freshwater fish — empurau.

To plant gaharu

According to Elli, the nomadic Penans are ‘allergic’ to direct sunlight. This is an important factor that any development planner must take into account in the effort to help the Penans, especially those nomadic families, out of poverty.

“Any project that exposes them to direct sunlight    will not be popular. So introduce something that they are good at and like doing.

“To change their mindset would take a long time,” he added.

Elli related that in the 1970s, a longhouse with zinc roof was built for the Penans in Lusong Laku, Linau, in Belaga. One day he accompanied the then Minister of Welfare Datuk Nyipa Bato on a visit to that settlement. They found an empty longhouse but discovered that the inhabitants were inside little huts by the river where it was cool.

“I recommend that they plant Gaharu in the jungle and with expert treatment or inoculation of certain chemicals into the tree, after four years, the plant will produce valuable resin.

“That wood will sell well in the world market,” he said.

He also has empurau and catfish (keli) in concrete tanks filled with clean water to look like upriver streams.

To rear and breed empurau

According to Elli, there are rivers where Penans can rear empurau and his organisation will do the marketing for them to make sure they get a fair deal in the market.

Empurau is a most delicious fish but it costs    the earth so it’s worth the effort to make friends with Elli for tips on how to rear and breed the fish yourself. I’m sure he will give you a discount if you place an order well before your next birthday celebration.

Elli knows there are some clean rivers in the interior of Sarawak, for instance at Long Beruang, where Emparau may successfully be reared and bred.

He knows that the Penans would do this fish rearing and breeding well as long as they are not exposed to direct sunlight, unlike rice farming.

White empurau has a ready market worldwide, although the species has competitors from the Himalayas.

Elli told me that during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, he sent a consignment of the fish by air to his friend there; in that one sale he made a killing. Though no figure was disclosed, it must have been worth a gold medal.

To plant jatropha

“I’d also like to recommend that the Penans plant jatropha and castor, which produce biodiesel. Jatropha can also be intercropped with other plants like rubber and gaharu bukit.”

According to him, jatropha is a tree that acts as a repellent of sorts — the deer or goats and other ruminants would stay away from other trees where jatropha is planted.

The Penans need not worry about their plants being damaged while they go hunting and collecting sago.

Small is beautiful

Projects of this nature may be introduced to any community where the basics are in place ? clean rivers, jungle setting if possible, and land.

In a way, the Penans are lucky in that they have all the resources  in situ except that we don’t know how to read their minds and introduce a programme of development that they can and like doing. We have been trying to change their mindset; instead, we may have to change ours.

In the Readers Digest magazine, there is a    column called ‘Heroes’, in which are recorded stories of courage, ingenuity and innovation, brought about by people with ideas for the benefit of small communities endowed with little resources of their own and on the side stream of development. An excellent example is, of course, the Grameen Bank, the brainchild of the Nobel laureate Dr Yusuf of Bangladesh, over 40 years ago. It has benefited thousands of women in Bangladesh.

A mini version of this rural credit scheme is Projek Ikhtiar Malaysia. I don’t know who the beneficiaries are in   Sarawak, besides those in Sebuyau.

What people like Elli are doing for the Penans may be classified as ingenious and innovative and may contribute towards the attainment of the ETP (Economic Transformation Programme) that is being bandied about. Beginning in a small way, it may become a model for the uplifting of the economic status of a small community dependent on the forests, rivers and land for survival.

This is a cause worthy of support from the government by way of funds.

Let’s wish Elli and his team every success in their undertakings among the Penans.

It’s high time we heard less depressing news from the interior of Sarawak, for a change.

6 Months old Gaharu intergation with 2 years Oil Palm

Sandalwood trees can bring good income — Sairin

Borneo Post

May 24, 2010, Monday

KENINGAU: Assistant Rural Development Minister Datuk Haji Sairin Karno has urged the people here to plant sandalwood trees to improve their standard of living. Planting sandalwood trees can help to solve the poverty problem here as it cangenerate good income to the planters,” he said when launching the planting of sandalwood trees by Gaharu Asia Sdn Bhd at the community hall here on Saturday.

Earlier in his speech, Gaharu Asia Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Brazilian David said the planting of sandalwood trees would help the government eradicate hardcore poverty in the state. He said Gaharu Asia Sdn Bhd had learnt from Thailand how to use high technology to plant the tree and he hoped the government leaders in the state would fully support it.“People who are interested on this business can come to Gaharu Asia Sdn Bhd office near the Queen Hotel at Masak Road here,” he said.

One hundred sandalwood tree planters from several districts in Sabah, including Keningau, attended the ceremony. Also present were project and planning director of Agrowood Network Thailando Ltd, Dr Mohd Ismail Lohmoh, district officer Amat Mohd Yusof and Gaharu Asia Sdn Bhd district manager John Lunsin.

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 Planted on 24 April 2010. Gaharu Tree integration with 2 years old Oil Palm

Belaga settlers venture into gaharu, swiftlet farming: Sarawak

Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6" Display, Global Wireless, Latest Generation)

April 12, 2010, Monday

Tagged with: agriculture

BELAGA: Settlers from Lepo’ Badeng Sungai Koyan in Belaga, Kapit yesterday ventured into a high potential agriculture namely the cultivation of gaharu or agarwood and swiftlet farming.

TAKING PART IN PROGRAMME: Kazuhiko (seated right) and Nyurang (seated left) pose with the programme committee after the ceremony.

Badeng community through Syarikat Baro Brothers Enterprise signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mikuni Biotech & Life Science (M) Sdn Bhd (MBL), a subsidiary of Mikuni (M) Sdn Bhd to develop the high potential agricultural system as part of poverty eradication programme for the community in Sungai Asap.

Signing on behalf of the community was community leader Penghulu Nyurang Ului while Mikuni Biotech and Life Science was represented by its director Nishikawa Kazuhiko. “The programme is part of our company corporate social responsibility (CSR) to empower community and Belaga district with the means to be involved and improve their socio-economic development which had been affected due to construction of Bakun dam project,” Kazuhiko told The Borneo Post after the ceremony.

Through the programme it is hoped that settlers and Belaga in general will be economically independent through the natural resources such as agarwood and swiftlets, Kazuhiko added. Kazuhiko disclosed that Mikuni Biotech & Life Science will be providing technologies and knowledge to the community to make traditional gaharu or agarwood plantation internationally acceptable by controlling quality of wood and products.

It is important that international traders make commitment for long-term basis with more controlled quality of woods. “The programme is also to develop and export new agarwood-elated products including seed and sidling export from the state of Sarawak in more organised way. “Through research and development, we are hoping to develop other new ethnic products (herbal medicine) acceptable to international market,” said Kazuhiko.

The company will support swiftlet farming or industries by providing basic information and ‘music’ box to invite swiftlets to the house. The programme or the system, Kazuhiko said will be able to generate income from the bird’s nest export to the international market. Similar swiftlet project is now being promoted in Mukah by Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC).

Similar method will be applied by the company for another product to generate income to the Belaga district and community. “By realising all these, we will continue to support Belaga district and its community in economical manner (not political) by receiving full support from University Putra Malaysia (UPM) Bintulu Campus, so that they can contribute and play direct and active role in socio-economic development of their own community and Belaga in general,” he added.

Kazuhiko believed and was confident that Belaga district could create own influence to Sarawak and the community economic development through cultivation of agarwood and swiftlet farming. Settler Okang Lepun when asked for comment on the programme said: “I believe that they (agarwood and swiftlet) will be able to improve our economic stand.

“Some of us have been collecting agarwood from the jungle before. The production is only in small scale and not lucrative enough as we don’t know and don’t have the technology.” According to Okang, they have been traditionally collecting agarwood from the area. However, the activity has been almost put to a stop or reduced following the clearing of the jungles in giving way to the construction of Bakun dam. Okang believed that other settlers from other resettlement in Belaga would also be interested in the cultivation of agarwood and swiftlet farming

Belaga settlers venture into gaharu, swiftlet farming: Sarawak

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella (Twilight Saga)
April 12, 2010, BELAGA: Settlers from Lepo’ Badeng Sungai Koyan in Belaga, Kapit yesterday ventured into a high potential agriculture namely the cultivation of gaharu or agarwood and swiftlet farming.



TAKING PART IN PROGRAMME: Kazuhiko (seated right) and Nyurang (seated left) pose with the programme committee after the ceremony. Badeng community through Syarikat Baro Brothers Enterprise signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mikuni Biotech & Life Science (M) Sdn Bhd (MBL), a subsidiary of Mikuni (M) Sdn Bhd to develop the high potential agricultural system as part of poverty eradication programme for the community in Sungai Asap.

Signing on behalf of the community was community leader Penghulu Nyurang Ului while Mikuni Biotech and Life Science was represented by its director Nishikawa Kazuhiko. “The programme is part of our company corporate social responsibility (CSR) to empower community and Belaga district with the means to be involved and improve their socio-economic development which had been affected due to construction of Bakun dam project,” Kazuhiko told The Borneo Post after the ceremony.

Through the programme it is hoped that settlers and Belaga in general will be economically independent through the natural resources such as agarwood and swiftlets, Kazuhiko added. Kazuhiko disclosed that Mikuni Biotech & Life Science will be providing technologies and knowledge to the community to make traditional gaharu or agarwood plantation internationally acceptable by controlling quality of wood and products.

It is important that international traders make commitment for long-term basis with more controlled quality of woods. “The programme is also to develop and export new agarwood-elated products including seed and sidling export from the state of Sarawak in more organised way. “Through research and development, we are hoping to develop other new ethnic products (herbal medicine) acceptable to international market,” said Kazuhiko.

The company will support swiftlet farming or industries by providing basic information and ‘music’ box to invite swiftlets to the house. The programme or the system, Kazuhiko said will be able to generate income from the bird’s nest export to the international market.

Similar swiftlet project is now being promoted in Mukah by Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC). Similar method will be applied by the company for another product to generate income to the Belaga district and community.

“By realising all these, we will continue to support Belaga district and its community in economical manner (not political) by receiving full support from University Putra Malaysia (UPM) Bintulu Campus, so that they can contribute and play direct and active role in socio-economic development of their own community and Belaga in general,” he added.

Kazuhiko believed and was confident that Belaga district could create own influence to Sarawak and the community economic development through cultivation of agarwood and swiftlet farming. Settler Okang Lepun when asked for comment on the programme said: “I believe that they (agarwood and swiftlet) will be able to improve our economic stand.

“Some of us have been collecting agarwood from the jungle before. The production is only in small scale and not lucrative enough as we don’t know and don’t have the technology.” According to Okang, they have been traditionally collecting agarwood from the area.

However, the activity has been almost put to a stop or reduced following the clearing of the jungles in giving way to the construction of Bakun dam.

Okang believed that other settlers from other resettlement in Belaga would also be interested in the cultivation of agarwood and swiftlet farming

Agarwood For Perfume

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] In 2004 all Aquilaria species were listed in Appendix II; however, a number of countries have outstanding reservations regarding that listing.[2]