YANGON, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar will cut its annual logging limit of teak and hardwood by 50 percent and produce only enough timber to meet the cost of production during 2019-20 logging season, according to the state-run Myanmar Timber Enterprise (MTE) Monday.
Only trees aged 30 years and above will be cut down in central Mandalay and northwestern Sagaing regions, said U Ohn Win, minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, on Sunday.
He stressed the need to ensure the natural environment is not damaged during the logging process and to block old timber production routes to prevent illegal logging, assuring that the authorities will replant triple amount of fallen trees to develop high-valued plantations.
Myanmar is implementing a 10-year plan of reforestation and rehabilitation of its forest across the country.
The project covers 32,400-40,500 hectares a year to establish forest, nurseries and to replant trees in forest reserve areas.
Myanmar is one of most resource-rich countries in Southeast Asia. However, statistics show that forest coverage in Myanmar dropped to 42.92 percent over the past two years from over 57 percent in 1990.
Sagaing region suffers the worst from illegal forest exploitation which is also found in Kachin and Shan states and Bago region.
The country has restricted wood logs export to encourage more export of value-added wood products since 2014.
