FORESTRY IN INDONESIA

Press, Volume C, Issue 29497, 26 April 1961, Page 15

FORESTRY IN INDONESIA

Similarity To N.Z. Methods Methods of training all classes of employees in the Indonesian Forest Service are very similar to those used in New Zealand, according to Mr H. Djiun. dean of the forestry college at Bogor, Java. Mr Djiun is visiting New Zealand to study methods of training, as his is the only school of its kind in Indonesia and he has nobody with whom he can discuss his problems. The two services were very similar, with one exception, he said in Christchurch. In Indonesia a forest police force was kept to prevent the theft of timber. "Timber is so scarce that even the roots of a tree are dug up for firewood after it is foiled." he said. "Sometunes gangs of 30 to 40 men steal timber."

One of the differences tn the training of rangers was that trainees in New Zealand had a year in the field before their formal education in forestry. Mr Djiun thought that this was a better idea because the trainee was then able to find whether he liked the work and the service could also determine whether the trainee was suitable. He said that it was likely that this idea would be introduced into the Indonesian training scheme. At Mr Djiun's college in Bogor. about 300 students are doing a three-year course. About 80 graduate from the annual intake of 100. Competition for entry ia very keen—there are at least 6000 applications for 100 vacancies. One other difference was that the college looked after a 100.000-acre forest, while in New Zealand rangers were sent to different forests

Although there were two university forestry training schools in Indonesia, the cost of attendance was so bigh that only about 30 graduated each year The subjects taught at the university schools and his ranger school were basically the same, but there was a slightly higher standard at tha universities. Ranger trainees could still reach the top jobs in the service, but it took longer “Indonesia at present imports all its newsprint but a mill capable of putting out 60 tons of newsprint a dav will be opened in North Sumatra late this year," he said "The tree used will be Pinus markusii, a native of Indonesia."