Extraction Department

This department is responsible for the cutting of logs in accordance with the rules of sustainable forest management, skidding by elephants to save the forest ecology on site processing and loading of logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging equipments are used in limited quantity so as to save the environmental aspects concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a depot or local sawmill. As this department is a source funding for the log inventory, heavy amount of budget cost are invested for working expenditures.

Departmental Instructions ( DI-122 ) 

Extraction department is one of the major departments of MTE to contribute to the nation’s economic development as well as to fulfill the human needs. All of the extraction procedures must be in accordance with the principles of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) encompassing the three aspects of environmental, social and economic functions.

In line with the concept of “Sustainability” to fulfill the needs of the present and the future generation, the extraction department has been carrying out its harvesting activities by following the Forest Law/ Rules and Prescriptions of Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) by the forest department. Besides, the extraction department adheres to Departmental Instructions (DIs) , Standard Orders for Extraction Staff (SOS), Extraction Manual and the Guidelines for Reduced Impact Logging (RIL).

“Departmental Instructions (DIs)” includes the total of 122 instructions in order to facilitate the work of harvesting activities throughout the whole year. Each instruction (DI-1 to DI-122) represents its respective guideline to be followed by the office or field or elephant or mechanical staff.

For the public, “Departmental Instructions-DIs” in detail can be read here. 

Standing Orders for Extraction Staff (SOS) 

The extraction department of MTE is the responsible division of timber harvesting for the supply of logs both for local and export demands. In order to run the process of extraction activities smoothly, the whole department is comprised of one head office located in Yangon and (45) extraction/ rafting agencies throughout the country. Various sections are sub-divided for the matters of human/ elephant/ mechanical strength and management, budget, planning, and work. All of the staff has to abide/ intimate with all of the rules /regulations/ order/ instructions by its own department in addition to Forests Laws and Rules. The “Standing Orders for Extraction Staffs” known as “SOS” are prescribed for the staff to facilitate the office matters as well as the harvesting operations.

The SOS includes the procedures for the general office matters, pre/ during/ post-harvest plans, extraction of logs, yeleiking (facilitating smooth flow of dry teak logs in the streams ), aunging ( straightening congested logs ), neap counting ( counting logs stranded along floating streams ), railing of logs, rafting and management of main river depots, employing, store management, care and management of timber working elephants, maintenance of trucks, loader, dozer, etc., and mechanical logging and so on.

For the public, the SOS in detail can be read here.