ALUE-adding is the key behind the Browne's tree-growing strategy at 'Black-Ore' in the Ancona Valley, near Merton in north-eastern Victoria, Property owner Tony Browne estimates an unpruned 40 dollar a cubic metre sawlog could be worth 400 dollar/m~3if sawn into boards, or 2500 dollar/m~3 when kiln-dried. Browne is growing pine and euca-lypt plantations and shelterbelts for high value timber products. "I would rather sell 100 cubic metres of timber valued at 1000 dollar than market 1000 cubic metresworth 100 dollar," he says. This reduces timber wastage, as well as machinery and labour expenditure. The property was originally established by Tony's father, Jim who bought 535 hectares of marginal sheep grazing hill country in 1967. Today it is run as a family enterprise on 1050ha with annual rainfall between 700 millimetres to 800mm. Farm income is derived from 150 head of pure bred Simmental cattle, 600-700 Cashmere goats and about 2500 sheep.
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