DEVELOPING AN ALTERNATIVE SPECIES SUPPLY CHAIN

Developing a new supply chain for any forestry species is a long-term and complex undertaking, involving significant up-front investment in breeding, research and development, and many other sectors beyond this.

Creating a forestry supply chain - a complex and long-term challenge. Note that residues form another potentially valuable product from durable eucalypt harvesting and processing.

Existing forestry supply chains in New Zealand

In New Zealand there are established supply chains for radiata pine and Douglas-fir. Both these species have had the benefit of government/industry breeding programmes, and have a well-worn passage from the forest either through domestic sawmills and into the New Zealand market or to the nearest port where they are exported as logs.

Cypresses (C. macrocarpa, C. lusitanica and Ch. ovensii) have benefitted from some genetic improvement in New Zealand, and in some regions small volumes are readily saleable to domestic mills who produce interior joinery products and exterior above ground products for e.g. decking. Export markets are also available for C. macrocarpa logs and lumber.

Non-durable eucalypts including E. nitens, E.regnans and E. fastigata also have been subject to some limited breeding work in New Zealand. The majority of these trees are destined for chipping either for domestic or overseas pulp and paper markets. The most common (but minor) high-value use of non-durable eucalypts is for indoor flooring. A range of durable and non-durable eucalypt species have been grown over the last 100 years in New Zealand. These are generally unimproved genetically.  Some smaller sawmills do process small volumes of eucalypts for high-value end uses.

Coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) is an increasingly popular alternative species for New Zealand growers and has been planted sporadically on a small scale for many decades. Some early breeding work has been undertaken and while there has been no specific investment in redwood processing and marketing, small volumes are processed domestically. The timber is used for e.g. cladding, interior joinery, and garden landscaping.

There has been no sustained supply chain developed for any other alternative species, including durable eucalypts, in New Zealand. Where alternative species are grown and utilised, they are more-or-less genetically unimproved, and grown on a small scale for niche markets.

Durable eucalypts - a new value chain for the 21st century

Durable eucalypts are not entirely new to New Zealand; some species have been grown on a small scale and milled for on-farm use or small-volume markets since the days of the early settlers.

But NZDFI's programme is the first concerted attempt to breed and supply improved durable eucalypts on a commercial scale. At the same time, NZDFI is undertaking integrated wood quality research so that growers can be confident that the trees they plant will be 'fit for purpose' in whatever the target market - vineyard posts and and poles, outdoor joinery, power-pole cross arms, engineered wood products and the many other potential markets these trees could be suitable for (and have been used for for decades in Australia).