The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has trained 12 farmers in Zamboanga Sibugay on sawmilling of old rubberwood logs.

The farmers are members of the Tambanan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative (TARBEMCO), local partner of the DOST-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) on its project “Processing and Utilization of Senile and Unproductive Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis) Trees for the Production of High-Value Furniture, Mouldings and Joineries.”

During the training held recently, the participants were taught how to properly cut rubberwood logs to ensure maximum quality, lumber recovery and safety for the operators, DOST said.

The department said the trainees will later on be hired as sawmill operators of the newly established rubberwood processing facilities in the province.

“With 210 hectares of old rubberwood trees, TARBEMCO plantations are expected to yield 31,500 cubic meters of good lumber for use in high-value products,” DOST said.

DOST, through its Grants-In-Aid Program, funded the project, which is geared towards determining the financial viability of production operations and encouraging high-end use of senile rubberwood trees in the country.