FORESTRY

We are committed to managing and developing our business as a sustainable investment. Managing our plantations in a sustainable way is crucial. Read more about our Forest Management Plan here.

LAND

In Laos all land is by definition owned by the state. In practice land in Laos is often controlled by individuals or communities through different land-use rights. Burapha has a long history in Laos and that is because we have always valued reaching agreements with the people actually using the land. This is governed through our use of Free Prior and Informed Consent (Or FPIC). In this process we present Buraphas work and our policys to farmers and villages. We will proceed with land acquisition only if they agree with the Burapha business model and have clearly understood what will happen once they sign an agreement with us. Burapha has developed several different form of land-use agreements like Village and Farmer agreements to suit all situations. Land is also accessible through concession from the Government. In the case of Government concessions Burapha always confirm the right to the land with local farmers and communities. Using these different ways to reach land holding agreements Burapha can get land regardless of who has the land-use rights and even when an area has several different parties having the current land-use rights.

Through good relations and communication with the local farmers and thanks to Buraphas good reputation, Burapha, as of the end of 2022, has land concession of ~68,000 ha intended for agroforestry plantations. Burapha currently has planted close to 6,000 hectares.

The landholdings are spread over 5 provinces and 8 districts around Vientiane.

Burapha has developed extensive experience in land quality, silvicultural practices, and social practices for optimal plantation operations.

The agroforestry system Burapha uses enables the farmers to follow their normal cycle for shifting cultivation. Eucalyptus can be harvested 7 years after plantation. 

NABONG NURSERY AND RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Burapha has its own nursery, today managed by a contractor to produce tree seedlings. Several species are grown for commercial use and some for research. In the nursery, there are seedlings of Eucalypts, Mai Du (Rosewood), Teak and Acacia. The production capacity of the nursery is 3 000 000 seedlings per year.

The seedlings are produced from January to October to satisfy the needs as the planting season starts in April. Most of the seedlings Burapha plants are Eucalypts.

The Research and Development department at Burapha works in close cooperation with the nursery to improve the clones. There are currently 23 clones of Eucalypts and 6 clones of Acacia. Up to date a few clones are planted but the company is continuously working on improvement of the clones for future plantations. Cooperation research is also done together with the Institute of Forest Tree Improvement and Biotechnology (IFTIB) in Vietnam.

Recently Burapha started trials with different Bambo species. Bambo species from India, Indonesia, Thailand and Laos grows in trials out at Nabong nursery site.