THE TIMBER TRADE

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23086, 31 July 1940, Page 8

THE TIMBER TRADE

e Fall in Production Recorded LOWEST EXPORTS FOR FIFTY YEARS [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, July 30. A fall in the production of rough sawn timber for the first time for seven years is recorded in the annual report of the Director of Forestry, which was tabled in the House of Representatives to-day. It is also stated that exports of timber have now reached the lowest figure for •more than 50 years. The report says that the quantity of 317.000. board feet of timber cut during the vear ended March 31 last was 6,000,000 boaid feet below that of the previous year, and 18.000. board feet less than the predicted cut. The discrepancy was almost wholly due to the reduced cut of kauri and white pine. The fall in the production of white pine to only 33,000,000,. board feet was a reflection of the Government’s policy to reduce the cut to meet only essential local demands, while the approaching exhaustion of private kauri forests would mean a still further decrease in production, although the long-term management policy of the State would ensure that supplies for really essential purposes would be available in perpetuity. For the seventh year in, succession rimu registered an increased production. The total quantity of timber imported was 43.000. board feet, the same as last year. The major item consisted of Australian hard woods, with the highest importation of sleepers for more than 10 years, while there were reduced imports of Douglas fir. “Exports have been steadily falling since 1935/’ the report says, “and have now reached the lowest figure for more than 50 years. Kauri was originally the main item of the export trade, and in more recent years white pine was in strong demand; but with the necessity for restricting the production of these two species to meet only essential local demands both have been virtually eliminated from the export trade. Efforts to stimulate the export of other species, notably matai and rimu, were not very successful before the outbreak of war, owing to the price competition on the Australian market with American softwoods; but the outbreak of war changed the situation completely. Transpacific shipping difficulties, combined with higher American prices, stimulated the Australian demand for both building and boxmaking timbers, with the result that during the five months ended March 31 last the quantity of rimu exported was 4,750,000 board feet, compared with 1,750,000 board feet in the same period last year. Present indications are that the overseas demand for rimu will greatly exceed the amount available for export.”