New plan targets gains for pine landowners

Fiji Pine Trust (FPT) has launched a five-year strategic plan aimed at maximising economic benefits for pine landowners.

The Trust was established to address critical landowner issues within the Fiji Pine Group and has outlined measures to help landowners gain greater value from forest resources.

Fiji Pine Limited and its related entities have congratulated the Trust, its board, management and staff on the new plan, which also includes a strengthened communications strategy.

The Trust’s core objective is to increase benefits for pine landowning units across Fiji. More than 85,000 hectares of land are leased to Fiji Pine, placing strong expectations on the Trust to deliver economic returns.

In a statement, the Trust said it has served as a bridge between landowners and Fiji Pine Limited since its establishment in 1999. It is mandated by law to safeguard landowner rights.

Key focus areas include fostering equitable benefit-sharing, enterprise development and capacity building.

“Over the past two decades, it has grown from a shareholder representative into a key development partner,” the statement said.

The Trust works with its board and management to support the sustainable growth of Fiji’s pine industry, while exploring opportunities in value addition, carbon and climate finance, downstream processing and eco-tourism.

Fiji Pine Trust continues to play a central role in unlocking the potential of the sector, supporting landowners linked to about 85,615 hectares of leased land and 38 extension pine schemes.