Rotorua tests crucial for pinus radiata

Press, 27 April 1981, Page 17

Rotorua tests crucial for pinus radiata

PA Tauranga Differences of opinion on whether New Zealand pine is suitable for building Japanese houses should be resolved after tests on the timber have been done at Rotorua. The tests result from discussions in Tokyo between the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) and Japanese officials. The head of the Forest Service Commercial Division. Mr A. A. Webby, said: "The problem in marketing building timbers in Japan rests on two things — the lack of technical acceptance of radiata pine as a building timber, and the fact that there is a 10 per cent duty on timber imported into Japan in small dimensions. "These issues are being tackled in a progressive manner and this can only aid marketing in the final outcome.” Mr Webby said the millions of tonnes of pine logs exported to Japan in the last two decades had been used mainly to make packing crates in which to export Japanese products overseas.

Tests on the timber had been done independently by the . two countries and problems had arisen over the interpretation of each other’s results. A breakthrough came at the week-end when Mr Muldoon and the Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries (Mr Takao Kameoka) agreed that testing would be done jointly by the two countries. Mr Muldoon said in Tokyo that the tests, which would probably be held at the Forest Research Institute in Rotorua, should allow the status of the timber to be upgraded. This should open up the huge home bulding market in Japan. “If the scientists make the tests together they will conclude that pinus radiata is a high quality timber,” he said. Mr Webby said that New Zealand should promote timber for building in Japan. ’ New Zealand had to diversify its markets and. make progress in the “added value” field. 1