32 FEATURE SUPPLEMENT
Thursday, February 17, 2022 Wairarapa Times-Age
FEATURE SUPPLEMENT 33
www.age.co.nz Thursday, February 17, 2022
FORESTRY IN WAIRARAPA Why do we have to export logs from NZ? Why do we have to export logs from NZ?
Think of trees the same way as sheep and cows, basically they get cut up into di° erent products for COMPLETELY di° erent market requirements. Your favourite restaurant in Wellington won’t serve you the bladder from a sheep and NZ sawmills do not want the bent and knotty parts of the tree. Forestry companies keep most of the best part of the tree here for our domestic sawmills and export the “bladder and brains” grades of logs. That’s what is called a “Log Grade”. All parts of the tree are not the same.
It’s easy for Joe Average to get a slanted view on log exports as our industry di° ers from many others in that logs are very visible on trucks, trains and in ports, timber is not. Timber is delivered to retailers dry, wrapped in plastic and
So next time you’re listening to someone spout o° about all our logs going o° shore and a lack of framing timber in NZ, you can rebut their illinformed opinion with the following ...
Forest owners, like every other private business, have the right to sell what they own to whoever they want, they are an investment not a public good item.
5
Logs produce all kinds of products, some are solid wood which continue to store carbon over their lifetime; others of lower quality are valued by Chinese buyers for a range of uses, but mainly as formwork in the construction of high-rise buildings in China.
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Logs are valued by manufacturers in China because of the versatility of radiata for their products. Just like they love our milk powder and lamb meat!
7
Forest and wood products are a vital piece of the NZ landscape and ÿ t well into our ways of earning a living for rural communities and respective forest owners, large and small.
One tree may have as many as 10 di° erent log grades within one stem and generally quality and hence value diminishes the further up the tree you go. NZ sawmills cannot make money out of sawing the lower grade logs,
Marcus Musson Director Forest360
RIB RIB
SHORT SIRLOIN TENDERLOIN SHORT SIRLOIN LOIN TOP SIRLOIN
SHORTLOIN PSLHAOTE RT PLATE
TENDERLOIN
FLANK
TOP SIRLOIN
FLANK
RUMP CAP RUMP CAP
ROUNRDOUND
TONGUE
NECKNECK
Log exports are just one part of the log (usually the top half or less) The rest goes to domestic processing.
AD HE D EA TONGUEH
K
There is no way the entire NZ log production could be sawn locally. Hence the word EXPORT.
CH EE
The NZ supply shortage of timber is due to lack of domestic sawing and kiln drying capacity, not log exports.
K
If you write on it or wipe on it, build with it or burn it, wood products from our radiata pine forests around the regions are generally taken for granted. But they are still here, and being used every day.
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AIL X TAIL OX T O
Once that tree is cut down - we have to use all the parts of the tree. Some in New Zealand, and some o° shore. That’s called a “Log Market”. As long as there are still sawmills running, you’ll still see logs going over the wharf. Di° erent logs – right!
Fun facts about log exports:
ORE ORE
Most elections will see some illinformed politician standing in front of a wharf full of logs pontiÿ cating about supporting our local industry and keeping the logs in NZ. Builders and home handypersons are pointing the ÿ nger squarely at forest owners for increased lumber prices and supply issues assuming that issues are caused by the exporting of logs rather than supplying local mills.
transported in curtain sider trucks which are indistinguishable from those that carry corn˛ akes. Locally manufactured wood products are, however, a big part of many of our daily lives whether we notice it or not.
E E SK SK BRI BRI
whereas export markets such as China have much lower production costs and therefore can a° ord to spend more time reconstituting the lower grade logs into usable products.
F FK K AN AN CHUCCKHUCKSH SHT T
We all cheer increased dairy and meat exports, are more than happy that the best fruit and crayÿ sh go o° shore but throw our toys out of the cot about log exports. Why is this?
When you kill a cow, some goes to When you kill a cow, to our supermarkets andsome somegoes to export. our supermarkets and some to export.
CH EE
When you kill a cow, you have to eat all the cow
SHANK SHANK
• Forest Management • Forest Valua�on
Trees are Trees are the same. the same.
None will be wasted. None will be wasted.
the soil. Because this wood has more knots and bends, Because this woodNew has Zealand more sawmills it. Zealand knots andcannot bends,use New
EXPORT GRADE EXPORT SMALL AND GRADE LARGE SMALL ANDSAWLOG LARGE BRANCHED BRANCHED SAWLOG
DOMESTIC GRADE DOMESTIC GRADE PRUNED SAWLOG PRUNED SAWLOG
Export logs are made overseas into: boxing for made concrete, packing Export logs are overseas crates, cardboard, pallets, packing into: boxing for concrete, furniture and timber for houses. crates, cardboard, pallets, furniture and timber for houses. Used in our domestic sawmills. This in New Usedisinprocessed our domestic sawmills. Zealand into framing timber, This is processed in New decking, into timber for laminated Zealand framing timber, beams, structural timber for decking, timber for laminated housing, and peeled for plywood beams, structural timber for manufacturing. housing, and peeled for plywood manufacturing.
Once a tree is cut, some will go to NZ sawmills and some to export. Once a tree is cut, some will go to NZ sawmills and some to export. McCarthy Transport provide innovative distribution solutions to New Zealand's forestry industry.
• Silviculture • Establishment
For over 70 years we have proudly supported our community and provided the very best of service to our valuable clients. Our people and customers are number one.
STIHL MS 661
We will maximise the return on your Forest
EXPORT GRADE EXPORT GRADE
paper andand toilet paperare made Branches needles leftininNZ. forest for and ground cover toleft stop Branches needles are in erosion and return nutrients to forest for ground cover to stop the soil. and return nutrients to erosion
sawmills cannot use it.
OFFICE 06 377 4443 GUY FARMAN 0274 488 810 EMAIL Guy@�f.co.nz WEBSITE www.FTF.co.nz
• Harves�ng • Log Marke�ng
BRANCHES, NEEDLES BRANCHES, NEEDLES AND FIREWOOD AND FIREWOOD
Wood chip for fuel and chip for MDF and Cardboard, Wood chipfibreboard. for fuel and chip for paper and toilet paper made in NZ. MDF and fibreboard. Cardboard,
STIHL SHOPTM Masterton 4 Chapel Street.
P 06 377 5549
06 370 0085 Masterton@mccarthytransport.co.nz www.mccarthytransport.co.nz