‘Eua timber for export [1]
Monday, March 20, 2000 - 11:00. Updated on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 - 11:25.
From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 15, no. 1, March 2000.
A first shipment of ‘Eua timber was sent to New Zealand in March by Ha’amo Growers Ltd.
The subsidiary of J. H. Nakao Holdings is milling pine and red cedar timber on ‘Eua island after winning the lumber tender from government last year.
Tsutomu Nakao, the chief executive of Ha’amo Growers Ltd, said their first shipment was a mixture of pine and cedar, which would be further processed in New Zealand for the building and cabinet trade. “The pine will be suitable for the building trade export, and the cedar is suitable for interior wall panels and cabinet trade.”
Tsutomu said that the lower grades of pine would be suitable for export bins for squash and other produce. The Ha’amo Growers Ltd, one of the exporters of Tongan squash to the Japanese market, can now produce their own squash bins from their ‘Eua lumbering operation.
Tsutomu said that after his company successfully tendered for the lumbering of the government’s forest on ‘Eua they began production in August 1999. So far they have milled 300 cubic meters for export and 200 cubic meters for the local market. “It is expected that in three years time the export volumes will increase threefold and Tonga’s local market demand will be met from its own resources.”
The planting of pines and red cedar in ‘Eua was a joint venture between the government of Tonga and the New Zealand Overseas Development Assistant project, but since the forest became ready for harvest the government has tendered out 2000 cubic meters at a time for lumbering.
Ha’amo Growers Ltd. has set up a $250,000 lumbering operation and Tsutomu said they were fine tuning their operation and concentrating on establishing a prime export market for Tongan timber.