Reliance on radiata use ‘a risk’
From ecological benefits to income diversity, planting forest blocks made up of alternative species can be “a win, win, win” for farmers, Neil Cullen says.
The New Zealand Farm Forestry Association president said it was important that farmers considered all their options when they looked at forestry.
Widely considered the country’s leading experts on alternative tree species, the association will be hosting a series of field days on members’ farms around the country, to share experiences of what grows well and where, success and failure, costs and returns.
The first field day is in Balclutha on Thursday.
“We have quite a lot of specialist knowledge and we carry out research,” Cullen said, adding that the association’s action groups each focused on specific alternative species.
The field days will be supported by Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service.
Currently, 90% of the on-farm forests in New Zealand are made up of radiata, while 5% are douglas fir.
The Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan launched in November 2022 set out a goal of increasing alternative species to 20% of the farm forests planted in New Zealand by 2030.
The local industry’s heavy reliance on radiata opened it to risk, Cullen said.
Apart from the biosecurity risk that would see “disastrous” consequences if diseases impacting radiata abroad made it here, there was also the market risk, he said.
According to the New Zealand Forest Owners Association, around 60% of pine was exported as unprocessed logs.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Dryland Forests Innovation estimated market opportunities for alternative commercial species to be worth up to $2 billion per year.
Some species are more durable than pine for building, for example, and could replace a portion of the $400 million worth of timber products imported annually.
But unlocking these opportunities would require educating architects and designers about alternative timbers and then working with the timber processing industry to make sure they were readily available, Cullen said.
Species like poplar were already being used to stabilise hillsides, he said, and when widely spaced, farmers could still get grazing underneath and claim credits under the emissions trading scheme. “It’s a win, win, win really, a species like that,” he added.
The association is a strong advocate for “right tree, right place”, but also strongly encourages farmers to plant forests on their least productive land. “It’s going to improve viability in the long-term,” Cullen said.
Forestry offered alternative sources of income, both through the emissions trading scheme and returns on harvest.
It was also good for succession planning, he said, as wood lots could be sold to buy a house when farmers were ready to pass on the farm with lower debt.
Te Uru Rākau forestry engagement and advice director Alex Wilson said the forestry service was supporting the field days because it recognised the importance of a diverse forest estate to meet climate change goals and build resiliency.
“Our forests are a vast resource that could produce more value for New Zealand through the growth of high-value timber products, which bring new opportunities, products and markets for New Zealand.”
Including trees in land management supported erosion control, income diversity, stock shade and shelter, and improved water quality, Wilson said.