Roundwood removals from New Zealand forests for the year ended 31 March 2007

Statistical Release 04/2007, December 2007
ISSN: 0114-5371

Overview

An estimated 20.0 million cubic metres of roundwood was harvested from New Zealand forests during the year ended March 2007.1 This is a 6.6 percent rise on the estimated 18.8 million cubic metres of removals during the year ended March 2006, and the first rise in roundwood removals since 2003. This rise was due to increased export log volumes (up almost 1 million cubic metres) as log prices began to improve. Since then log prices have fallen. With the high exchange rate and increased costs (particularly shipping costs) harvesting may not remain at these levels.

Log removals from planted production forests

Log removals from planted production (exotic) forests made up 99.9 percent of the total harvest from New Zealand forests in the year ended March 2007. Radiata pine was the dominant species harvested, with Douglas-fir the next most significant.

Logs removed for sawn timber production2 from planted production forests in the year ended March 2007 increased 3.7 percent on removals in the year ended March 2006, to an estimated 7.9 million cubic metres. The increase reflects continuing steady export demands.

Over the same period, logs removed for pulp production3 increased by 1.5 percent to an estimated 3.3 million cubic metres. While total pulp production fell 2.1 percent on the previous March year, the chemical pulp component of production increased and resulted in an overall increase in logs used.

Production of laminated veneer lumber in New Zealand continues to grow, driving an increase in the removal of logs for the production of veneer. In 2007, the harvest of peeler logs for veneer production increased 7.0 percent on 2006 levels.

The volume of logs exported rose by 17.9 percent during the year ended March 2007, to almost 6 million cubic metres.

Log removals from natural forests

Log removals from natural (indigenous) forests in the year ended 31 March 2007 decreased by a quarter, to an estimated 18 000 cubic metres, on 2006 levels. Almost all indigenous logs were used to produce sawn timber. Less than 1000 cubic metres of sawn indigenous timber was exported, with the bulk of the timber being processed further in New Zealand.

Roundwood removals by wood supply region

Roundwood removals for the Central North Island wood supply region during the year ended March 2007 are estimated at 9.0 million cubic metres, up 1.3 percent on the year ended March 2006. Over the same period, roundwood removals in the East Coast and Hawkes Bay regions increased 12.7 percent to 2.4 million cubic metres. Other increases occurred in Nelson/Marlborough (up 4.5 percent to 2.3 million cubic metres), Northland (up 20.5 percent to 1.9 million cubic metres) and Otago/Southland (up 7.1 percent to 1.5 million cubic metres).

Supporting tables

Notes

1. The estimate of roundwood removals is based on several data sources. These include the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's annual surveys of sawmills and chipmills; pulp, paper and paperboard mills; and veneer, plywood, particleboard and fibreboard mills; as well as export data from Statistics New Zealand. Adjustments are made to the data supplied by processing companies to reconcile wood flows, and conversion factors are used to indirectly derive these estimates.

2. The estimate for saw logs is based on the output of sawmills and includes residues which may be utilised in other wood processing operations such as pulp or panel board manufacture. The sawmill conversion factors used were detailed in Table 7 of the Production and trade of sawn timber, panel products and pulp, paper and paperboard – March 2007 on the MAF website.

3. The estimate for pulp logs includes only logs used for the manufacture of pulp in New Zealand.

Further information

This release and detailed tables of the series discussed in this release are available on the MAF website: http://www.maf.govt.nz/statistics/primaryindustries/forestry/index.htm.

For further information contact:

Monitoring and Evaluation
Innovation and Research Policy Directorate
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Phone: 64 4 894 0693
Email:mailto:stats_info@maf.govt.nz

Contact for Enquiries

Innovation and Research
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND

Phone: +64 4 894 0100
Fax: +64 4 894 0741
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