Sawmill ‘uncertainty’

Press, 25 November 1981, Page 7

Sawmill ‘uncertainty’

PA Wellington The sawmilling industry is faced with a difficult'period for the next decade, says the new president of the Sawmillers’ Federation. Mr Richard Perham. "Our main task is going to be to cater for existing sawmills over that period and at the same time prepare ourselves for the period beyond when the availability of logs will be fourfold," he said.

“This is going to be a big task, particularly in so far as marketing is concerned. “I was recently in Japan with a wood products trade mission where we went way bevond the areas that NewZealand has traditionally sold in. We feel that there are tremendous possibilities in Japan for the future." Mr Perham said. "Japan, and indeed most countries in that region, are going to be short of resources and so we will need to be right into it with our marketing and particularly with our processing." Because New Zealand was a long way from these markets, it had to become fairly specialised and sophis-

ticated to take advantage of them. “Japan’s acceptance of New Zealand radiata 4in x 2in poles for house building was a major breakthrough. “This has been of much greater importance than people have realised in that it is the introduction of a processed, finished size. Previously New Zealand used to export logs and large bulks of timber which were remanufactured in Japan.” Mr Perham said more and more countries were becoming aware of the increasing resource that was going to be available in New Zealand and were taking an interest in the country as a potential supplier of wood and wood products.