MORE STRINGS TO THE BOW: FOUR STRONG CONTENDERS ON FORESTRY HORIZON

摘要

The reign of radiata pine over New Zealand's verdant commercial forest land may not be under serious threat, but fresh challengers are emerging as owners seek greater diversity. Critics of radiata pine's 92% dominance of New Zealand's commercial woodscene say it is a major contributing factor to the industry's poor marketplace performance. It locks it into commodity markets and the accompanying price pressures. But there are good reasons why radiata is king: it performs well almost anywhere from the coastal sand dunes to near the snow line, and from the wettest areas (the West Coast) to the driest (the East Coast); the market is established; much is known about it and there is a processing industry for the whole tree.