LITTLE FORESTS’ ON N.Z. FARMS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29844, 9 June 1962, Page 8

LITTLE FORESTS’ ON N.Z. FARMS

Aid Plan For 400,000 Acres

[From the New Zealand Forest Service]

WELLINGTON, June 6. The farm forestry financialaid programme introduced this year is art essential part of the Government’s plan to have an extra 1,000,000 acres under trees by the year 2000. By helping farmers to establish small lots on suitable areas, the Government hopes that up to 400;000 acres will be planted in this way. The scheme provides for £700,000 being lent during the next five years to assist in farm forestry development. Subject to fulfilment of loan conditions, half of this sum will be placed on suspensory loan and eventually written off. •

Approval of loans will depend on farmers being able to comply with certain standards, mainly the location of small stands, the pro : vision of noxious weed com trol, soil stabilisation and water regulation. Loan aid will go preferably to farmer applicants in “timber-hungry” districts such as South Canterbury; areas close to present or future large centres of population like Rodney County, near Auckland, a big region suitable for such planting: areas close to existing and expanding forest industries, such as the Bay of Plenty; and localities where future forest industries are likely to develop. These are the major areas where more forestry is needed, but the Government has also made it clear that it wants farmers throughout the country to take advantage of the scheme to plant more trees.

The maximum basis of a loan will be approximately £4O an acre for planting with subsequent tending.‘and £l5 for silvicultural tending of existing stands. The minimum area to qualify for a loan will be five acres. In the twentieth year of a loan, conditional on the proper establishment and treatment of the trees, rebates may be granted. These will be £2O an acre for afforestation and £7 10s an

acre for silvicultural tending. Repayment of principal and subsequent interest will be by table mortgage over a period of 20 years, commencing in the twentieth year from the granting of the loan or in the year of first realisation, whichever is the sooner. The interest rate of 5 per cent. includes insurance against total loss from causes beyond the control of the owner. The Government expects to lend up to £30,000 this year, for the tending of 2000 acres already planted. The number of loans approved will grow annually until, it is expected, approvals in 1966 will total £250,000 for 10,000 acres of new planting. Public support for the present Government loan will assist in this project. Farm forestry has played an important part in New Zealand’s plantings. When

the Forest Service was formed in 1920, extension forestry officers were appointed to help increase the temop of reafforestation, 51,000 acres being privately planted between 1922 and 1931. From 1932 to 1949 the average annual private planting dropped to 2470 acres from 4600 acres. In the future, it is hoped, private plantings will be well over 10,000 acres a year. A co-operative activity by interested farmers is the New Zealand Farm Forestry Association, with an over-all membership of about 2000. The association, parent body of 27 local organisations, is keenly interested in the Government's scheme and at present is making plans for the marketing of members’ timber.

Activities include experiments to solve local problems and co-operation in the supply of tree stocks. The associations will play an important part in the future of farm forestry, and with co-operation between them, the farmers, and the Forest Service, the scheme should take an important position in the economic life of New Zealand.