N.Z. TIMBER TRADE

Grey River Argus, 1 August 1940, Page 3

N.Z. TIMBER TRADE

Boom in Red Pine KAURI AND WHITE PINE RESTRICTED 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, while exports of timber have now reached the lowest figure for more than 50 years. The 317,000,000 board feet of timber cut during the year ended March 31 last was 6,000,000 board feet below the previous year, and 18,000,000 board feet less than the predicted cut. The discrepancy was almost wholly due to reduced cut of kauri and white pine. The fall of white pine to 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 43,000,000 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, and have 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 production of these two species to 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. Trans-Pacific shipping difficulties, combined with higher American prices, stimulated the Australian demand for both building and box-making timbers, with the result that during the five months end-1 ed March 31 last, the quantity of rimu exported,' was 4|750,000 board I feet, compared with 1,750,000 board I feet in the same period last year. Present indications are that the overseas demand for rimu will greatly exceed the amount available for export.”