Editorial: New Treeland?
OPINION: Forestry is not all bad and planting pine trees on land that is prone to erosion or in soils which cannot support livestock farming makes sense.
Tairāwhiti’s wood processing sector will receive funding through the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) to support the local economy amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today that WET Gisborne Ltd will receive a $12.1 million loan.
The funding will accelerate the development of WET Gisborne Ltd’s wood processing production line, which will produce a laminated structural wood product at the Wood Cluster Centre of Excellence located in Gisborne.
“I’m pleased we’ve been able to work alongside the region on projects that will help diversify the forestry sector, which is overly reliant on log exports to China,” says Jones.
“This investment is another way the Government is supporting Gisborne and the wider region as the forestry industry experiences the effects of Covid-19. The PGF support will allow construction to begin on the production line and is part of a wider focus on wood processing that is expected to create 74 new jobs in coming months.
“Work is about to begin on the first phase of the production line that will increase capacity from 3.5 days per week to a 24hr/7days-a-week operation. The second phase, which will establish New Zealand’s first fully commercial scale line, will start next summer,” says Jones.
In addition to the loan, regional economic development ministers have also approved a $980,000 loan towards the Wood Cluster Heat Plant.
Like many manufacturers around the world, European agricultural machinery and tractor manufacturers are currently operating in a difficult market environment. But they are heading to the world’s largest agricultural machinery event in Hanover next month with a degree of cautious optimism.
Established in 2021, the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards champion the important contribution parts and service technicians make to the Australian and New Zealand agriculture, construction and forestry industries.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on farmers from all regions to take part in the final season of the Sheep Poo Study aiming to build a clearer picture of how facial eczema (FE) affects farms across New Zealand.
New Zealand is closer to eradicating bovine TB than ever before, but possums remain a threat, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
The ACT Party says media reports that global dairy giant Nestle has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance shows why New Zealand needs to rethink its approach to climate.
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