Aug 25, 2005. /Lesprom Network/. Nippon Paper Group Inc. plans to double its afforested land to meet quickly growing demand in China and other parts of Asia for wood chips used as a raw material for paper. The paper industry expects demand for paper and paperboard in Asia in 2015 to be 210 million tonnes, up about 80% from 2002. The company has set a new goal to have 200,000 hectares of such planted land by fiscal 2015, doubling the current target. It will purchase land and existing afforested areas in locations including Australia and South Africa. Nippon Paper expects paper demand to rise greatly in China. To meet such demand, it needs to increase tree cultivation to ensure a supply of wood chips in the future. The firm owned a total of 79,300 hectares of afforested land abroad in three countries, including Australia and South Africa, at the end of fiscal 2003. Oji Paper Co. owned 143,886 hectares of foreign afforested land at the end of fiscal 2003 and seeks to have 300,000 hectares by fiscal 2010. In its development, Nippon Paper will give priority to expanding current afforested areas. It will also consider securing new locations in South America, including Brazil and Chile, and in Asia. Nippon Paper will also make use of original cloning technology to reproduce fast-growing eucalyptus trees. It is already testing out the technology in Australia and will attempt cultivation in other areas as well. The trees produce at least a 50% greater volume of chips than ordinary eucalyptus trees, the company says.