Songhong Nursery – Mekong Timber Plantations Co., Ltd (Lao PDR)

MTP approached BCC in May 2017 to do a reconnaissance of their old nursery and assist with the complete rebuild of their Songhong nursery in Lao PDR. At that stage the company required sufficient plants to establish >2000 ha per year. Production is based on clonal propagation of various Eucalyptus clones.

Construction work started in August 2017.
The development included:
• mother plant areas where ramets are grown in sandbeds with drop irrigation under crop protection greenhouses
• greenhouses with misting and sprinklers for rooting and acclimatising
• open holding areas with boom irrigation for grow out and hardening of plants
• T-rail tables for holding areas
• new water supply system with a complete water treatment facility
• pumpstation with irrigation controller, fertiliser tanks, pumps and filters
• upgraded generator for increased power supply
• service buildings for production, grading and sorting activities and despatch

First production started in February 2018 and running at full capacity by May 2018. The nursery was further expanded early 2019 to increase capacity to meet an annual planting target of at least 2500ha.

BCC provides continuous assistance in terms of technical and propagation support to ensure the different performance criteria are achieved and maintained.

“BCC provided MTP with outstanding support and professional service during the years, Thanks to BCC’s contribution and customer support MTP could not have been more happier with the results obtained in the current nursery. Cutting production per ramet 6-7, Average Root strike 96%-97%, Survival rate after grading 97% and dispatch survival rate of 91%” Thanks to BCC Mekong Timber Plantations have currently one of the best nurseries in Lao, PDR” Ian Du Plessis, Operations Manager: Mekong Timber Plantations Co., Ltd