March 31, 2020
Time to end short term forest focus
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Forestry Minister Shane Jones says forest owners need to reassess their business in light of the COVID-19 crisis.
Log shipments to China, which accounts for the bulk of the current harvest, ground to a halt at the start of the year, but are set to resume once the lockdown is over.
Mr Jones says when looking at which parts of the economy are likely to restart once the lockdown finishes, forest owners will be regarded as only one part of the forest industry rather than the most dominant voice.
With the prospect of the number of unemployed rising to more than 200,000, it’s important to identify ways jobs can be created processing and adding value to local raw materials.
"I had lots of lobbying over the past week to completely change the structure of the forest industry to ensure the forest owners service the needs first of New Zealand investors, New Zealand processors and New Zealand employees," he says.
Minister Jones says more than 75 per cent of New Zealand’s forests are owned by international investors, who are likely to be looking for quick cash once trade resumes.
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