A boat carrying timber prepares to unload on the Yangon River. Pic: Aye Zaw Myo

MYANMAR Forest Products and Timber Merchants Association, under the Ministry of Forestry, is going to hold a five-day furniture fair at Tatmadaw hall on U Wisara road in Dagon township from March 3 to 7, the association’s chairman said on February 21.

U Sein Lwin, the association’s chairman, said there are several reasons why the fair is being held.

“The reason for this furniture fair is to boost exports of forestry products,” he said, adding that it would also help to expose the sector to the foreign market and the needs and wants of customers abroad.

He said he hoped it would also lead to the exchange of technology between buyers and manufacturers.

This will be the third furniture fair, with the previous two held in 2004 and 2006; both were held in October at the Tatmadaw Hall. In 2004, 42 companies took part and provided 141 booths, while in 2006 this grew to 44 companies holding 166 booths, he said.

This year there will again be 166 booths, of which 154 will be inside and only 12 will be outdoors. They will showcase furniture, wood-based products, vehicle and machine spare parts used in the forestry industry, while there will also be booths for educational programs. However, the number of companies taking part has fallen back to 42.

U Sein Lwin added that the companies involved applied for more than 200 booths but due to limited space there will only be 166 spaces available.

The Ministry of Forestry exports all manner of timber and forestry products abroad, including teak furniture to Europe, Vietnam, China and Thailand.

According to ministry statistics, during the 2006-07 financial year about US$500 million were earned from exports, of which $300 million came from government-run industry, while the private sector earned about $200 million.
“Holding these fairs directly supports our forestry industry and promotes our exports,” he said at a press conference at association headquarter in Lanmadaw township on February 21.

During the announcement he said there are about 20 commercial forests nationwide covering 34 million hectares. Annual harvests every year are about 300,000 tonnes of teak and 1.2 million tonnes of hardwood, it said.

There are about 100 companies actively exporting forestry products nationwide.