Conference paper
Product specifications for tropical planted sandalwood to facilitate transparent commerce and trade
ACIAR Proceedings 150, pp.69-83
Sandalwood Regional Forum (Port Vila, Vanuatu, 11-Nov-2019 - 13-Nov-2019)
ACIAR Proceedings Series, 150, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
2021
Abstract
The sandalwood trade provides an important source of income for many smallholders in the Pacific and over the past decade many have been making a transition from wild-harvested to planted sandalwood. Given their investment in planting sandalwood, many resource owners are seeking to optimise commercial returns from sales. Grower knowledge of sandalwood products and their associated prices is an essential element for the scheduling of harvesting and sales negotiation with traders. However, this knowledge is not widespread among resource owners and there is little public information available to guide them. A transparent grading system is also essential to facilitate central and/or internet marketing of sandalwood products. As a first step to address these issues, this document represents a standardised system for the grading of smallholder planted sandalwood products. This product grading system is based on size of product and tree structure (roots, stumps, stems and branches). It contains grades across four broad product classes: (1) specialty; (2) typical; (3) immature wood (sapwood) and faulty heartwood; and (4) by-products. Specialty heartwood products command the highest prices and are produced in older trees greater than 20 years. These include carving logs and butts and decorative natural pieces such as burls and wood forms used for display. The international price of the carving log provides the basis for which typical sandalwood grades can be valued. Typical sandalwood grades are based on an expected heartwood oil gradient, where the concentration and quality are greatest in the stump (butt) and associated major roots and progressively declines upward through the primary stem and branches. Five typical grades are proposed and specified including roots, butts (large and small), logs, small logs and heartwood pieces. A pricing index is proposed for these grades based on the roots and butts being 60% of the value of a carving log. Heartwood pieces are considered to have a variable price and are not included in this pricing index. 10
Details
- Title
- Product specifications for tropical planted sandalwood to facilitate transparent commerce and trade
- Authors
- Tony Page (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Forest Industries Research CentreJohn Doran (Author) - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
- Publication details
- ACIAR Proceedings 150, pp.69-83
- Conference details
- Sandalwood Regional Forum (Port Vila, Vanuatu, 11-Nov-2019 - 13-Nov-2019)
- Series
- ACIAR Proceedings Series; 150
- Publisher
- Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
- ISSN
- 1447-0837
- ISBN
- 9781922635754
- Organisation Unit
- Forest Research Institute; Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; Forest Industries Research Centre; Tropical Forests & People Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Sustainability Research Centre
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99659697602621
- Output Type
- Conference paper
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