Friday Offcuts – 28 March 2014
Click to Subscribe - It's FREE! We’ve got some thought provoking new technologies for you this week. NZ researchers have come up with a remote controlled tree ‘swinging’ robot. It's modelled on stick insects and spider monkeys, it's been nick-named Tarzan and has just netted a group of Canterbury University engineering students the Rey Meyer Medal from the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand. Their claim is that it could revolutionise how steep land forests are managed and harvested. We’ve also got a robot with a chainsaw for tree pruning and a bicycle manufactured from cardboard which the inventor says will hold or support a rider of up to 220kg (now, that would be interesting).In addition to these innovations, we’ve got a story on a new Smartphone App that’s been developed by a young German company for determining the volume of stacked logs. This has been explored by many companies over the years. For this new technology, we’ve arranged for the company to come in via video link for the upcoming Wood Flow Logistics 2014 event planned in mid-June to update local forest managers, harvesting operations and wood transport companies about the application and potential use in this part of the world. Other news this week. We’ve got an update on the environmental impacts of digital vs paper marketing. TwoSides (which has an Australian voice ) representing the paper and print industry in a story below have convinced more than 20 major US companies to remove their "anti-paper" green claims when promoting e-billing as more environmentally friendly than paper. Like the Australian campaign, they’ve continued to go on the front foot and are renewing the challenge around the environmental claims that electronic communications are better for the environment. We’d welcome your comments. Investment activity in this region continues this week. Investment management firm New Forests which already manages over AU$1.5 billion in plantation and forest sector assets across Australia announced the purchase of another forestry asset - 21,000 ha forestry estate covering properties in the Green Triangle region. The sale of 6,000 hectares of native forests owned by Ergon Energy in Queensland and New South Wales is generating a lot of interest, as is the upcoming Forest Investment & Market Outlook 2014 event being run for senior forestry and investment companies across the region in two weeks. Finally, the funeral for the untimely passing of one of New Zealand’s strongest advocates for the use of wood in buildings was held in Blenheim yesterday. Michael Cambridge, well known to many readers both in New Zealand and Australia, was unfortunately killed in a car crash early on Sunday morning. It was reported he’d been returning from a visit to the Tuhoe building near Whakatane that had just been opened. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.
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New Forests acquires 21,000 ha forests in Southern AustraliaNew Forests Australia New Zealand Forest Fund 2 (“ANZFF2”) has completed its first acquisition, a 21,000 hectare forestry estate. The properties were sold by the Australian Sustainable Forestry Investors Fund (ASFI).New Forests announced the final close of ANZFF2 on 17 March with AU$707 million in commitments. ANZFF2 is a successor fund to New Forests’ first regional timberland fund, which completed its acquisitions program in 2013. New Forests currently manages over AU$1.5 billion in plantation and forest sector assets across Australia. The estate is distributed across some of the country’s prime forestry regions, with 61 properties located in the productive Green Triangle border region of Victoria and South Australia and 7 in southwest Western Australia. New Forests’ CEO David Brand explained, “This purchase is an ideal initial transaction for our new fund. It provides immediate cash yield from land rental and gives the fund entry into two key timberland regions of Australia,” said Mr Brand. About two-thirds of the estate is under a single rotation lease to a third-party forestry company managing Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum) plantations. The other third of the land has already come off lease as a mix of coppice crop and second rotation plantation. The estate will be retained as E. globules plantations or in some cases converted to pine plantation or returned to agriculture after harvest. New Forests seeks to generate strong returns as export markets for Australian wood chip recover. Mr Brand explained, “We believe that hardwood woodchip demand in Asia will increase by 20-25% in the next two years. While Japanese demand is relatively flat, major new pulp mills are being built in coastal China, and India is also now importing hardwood woodchip”. “With the Australian dollar moderating over the past year, Australian hardwood woodchip exports are recovering and could exceed 4 million tonnes in 2014. This current acquisition adds to the hardwood plantation estate already managed by New Forests, which will ultimately supply over 2 million tonnes of hardwood wood chip per annum.” Call to overhaul NZ building standardsNew Zealand’s forest and wood processing industry is calling for an overhaul of the country's building standards. The chairman of industry umbrella body the Wood Council, Bill McCallum says a review of the building standards and codes is well over due."I understand that there are about 600 building standards in New Zealand today, each of which is over seven years old and most of which are obsolete." Mr McCallum says the complicated system of building standards in New Zealand is acting as an impediment to the use of timber products, particularly sophisticated, high-value engineered timber that is well suited for pre-fabrication systems that will lower building costs. He says these standards and codes need to be reviewed and rationalised and a system implemented to ensure they remain current and easy to use. Source: Radio NZ News Remote-controlled chainsaw-wielding robotThe pairing of robot and chainsaw sounds like the making of an ultimate Saturday night event, filled with raunchy 1980’s glam rock, cheap beer, mullets, and a gladiatorial arena - destruction was man’s staple entertainment for centuries after all. But this chainsaw clad robot doesn’t actually compete with other robots in battle of cybernetic life or death, instead, it prunes branches.True, Pruning Robot’s occupation may sound a bit on the softer side of the chainsaw-wielding robot spectrum, but if you’ve ever watched a video of anyone pruning branches on a tree, you’d know it’s a dangerous task that’s completely opposite of dainty. Branch pruners face injury rates 10 times higher than factory workers. Replacing the human pruner with a teleoperated robot could potentially eliminate this danger all together. Now here is someone with a bit of time on their hands (Editor). The robot was conceived by Yasuhiko Ishigure, Katsuyuki Hirai, and Haruhisa Kawasaki from Marutomi Seiko Co. and the University of Gifu, in Japan, and was first debuted at the 2013 IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics and Automations. Humbling (or awkwardly) named "A Pruning Robot With a Power-Saving Chainsaw Drive,” Pruning Robot is still in its prototype phase, but the 13 kilogram machine can climb straight up any tree between 6 and 25 centimetres in diameter at a rate of 0.25 meters per second. All branches are sliced away in a spiral motion as the Pruning Robot makes its way up the trunk, adapting to the tree’s morphologies. The machine climbs by supporting itself passively on the tree, using its own weight to secure a firm grip, and then slowly rolls up the trunk using wheels. At the present, Pruning Robot has only been tested in a controlled environment where the trees are relatively straight and perfect, so a bit more effort must be made in order to make the robot more adaptable. Finding a market niche for the robot may prove more challenging than actually streamlining the design, given the only real use for the robot would be in a conifer plantation, and even then it’s a matter of comparing the set-up/time cost of using the robot versus the amount of money spent on injury expenses. Commercial forestry operations are typically too large scale to take advantage of individual machines of this nature. Nonetheless, there’s no denying that the pairing of chainsaw and robot is just down right cool. Source: electronicproducts.com New Zealand Log Prices - March 2014In-market log prices are now above the 2011 peak for A-grade and KS-grade logs. KS grade logs are at their highest price since 1993. KI-grade logs are still slightly below May 2011 prices, but returns at the wharf gate are much higher due to reduced shipping costs. A-grade logs have now reached US$160/JAS in China, which is drawing huge supply. Prices were up by 2-4% for the unpruned log types, and up 1% from pruned logs.The Agrifax Log Price Indicator had a marginal bump upwards this month. Export CFR prices were up US$2-5/JAS, but this didn’t get fully passed on to NZ exporters as freight and foreign exchange costs reduced increases. High inventories in China’s ports are shaking some of the confidence that exporters had, but offtake levels are up at pre-Chinese New Year levels and inventories are edging back down. There is high demand reported for the domestic market, but some processors are struggling due to the high cost of logs. Those in the structural and framing markets are reporting very high demand as building has taken off in Christchurch and Auckland. Demand for pulp logs is high, but there is increasing price pressure on small logs that can be exported as industrial grades. Export volumes have continued to grow year-on-year, and there was more than 1 million m³ of logs exported in January, which is the biggest January ever for log exports. Lumber exports, however, were well down and are being hit by the very high NZ dollar against the Australian dollar.
A new app that counts and measures wood
An idea that saves time and machines, and then money in the end as well, is always welcome. That’s why a new idea spawned by the German HAWK founder team is currently attracting a lot of attention in the wood industry. The new smartphone app the company says is able to very quickly calculate the value of any woodpile. FOVEA is the name of a young company that is being financially supported from the German Federal Ministry of Economics. Up until now, anyone who wanted to know the price of a stack of logs in the forest usually had to count all the logs individually, then measure and calculate the volume. This takes time. This new app needs only approximately two minutes to count the logs, the cubic meters and the stacked cubic meters for an average log pile. The wood is measured photo-optically in several steps; a panorama photo then appears on the display, and finally the number of logs appears according to thickness along with the data on solid cubic metres and stacked cubic meters, on the basis of which the price can then be calculated. In addition to the advantage of saving time, the app can also – if used for larger areas – serve to simplify and standardize wood logistics. The savings potential for the wood industry is enormous – and that applies all over the world confirms Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Stock from the HAWK Faculty for Natural Sciences and Technology: “The app is a real technological innovation; it uses elements from digital image processing and calculates this information on a smartphone.” Manfred Ide, Managing Director of Fovea has already introduced the project at national and international wood fairs and it has been attracting a lot of interest from South African, Brazilian, Spanish and Russian forest products companies. As part of the upcoming Wood Flow Logistics 2014 series running in Rotorua, New Zealand on 11-12 June and again in Melbourne on 17-18 June, the company behind the app will briefly outline the technology, what it can do and how it is being used. Full details of both programmes can be found on the event website, www.woodflowlogistics.com. NZ building consents up year-on-yearConsents for NZ construction fell by 14% for both residential and non-residential building in January. However, given the extraordinary rate of growth seen in the past year, January consents were still up 21% year-on-year. Year-on-year increases in Canterbury were up 26%, while Auckland growth was kept to 4% year-on-year. Building consents from outside Auckland and Canterbury were up 29%.Source: www.nzxagri.co.nz/agrifax  NZ wood building advocate in car crash
Marlborough's staunchest advocate for using wood in buildings has died in a North Island car crash. Michael Cambridge, a Blenheim forester and wood advocate, was killed in the crash on State Highway 5 between Taupo and Rotorua early on Sunday morning. Cambridge was understood to be returning from a visit to the Tuhoe building near Ruatoki, thought to be New Zealand's greenest building and built completely from wood. Ten days ago, Cambridge was encouraging the National Party's Blue-Green members at their meeting in Kaikoura to visit the site of the Kaikoura District Council's new three-storey building built with wood panels rather than concrete. He also tried to convince Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee to re-build Christchurch in wood, piling up so many arguments Brownlee was forced to say "Look, I'm in the National Party - I'm not going to tell people what they have to build their buildings in". Longtime friend and Marlborough Forest Association executive officer Ron Sutherland said Cambridge was one of New Zealand's strongest advocates for the use of wood. "He really went out of his way to get himself informed about buildings and wood, not just in New Zealand, but also Europe and China." Sutherland said people in the industry in Marlborough were in shock. "It's a huge loss to the industry here, because he had so much to give... We feel for his family." For a small insight into how passionate he was, click here to view his Farm Forestry Association nomination from last November. To read the full story click here Source: Stuff.co.nz and www.nzffa.org.nz  FIMO 2014 - ONLY WEEKS TO GO!
With forest products exports continuing to enjoy a run of high commodity prices there is plenty of attention worldwide on the robust returns delivered from forest resources. So it’s timely that New Zealand and Australia are soon to host a major forest investment and market outlook conference series. The event in its third year is popular with forest company CEOs and financial sector leaders for its insight. One of the keynote speakers headlining the event is Kevin Mason, Managing Director and Senior Analyst of ERA Forest Products Research (www.ERA-Research.com), a Canadian-based independent research firm that covers the global forest products sector. “We focus first and foremost on understanding the commodity side of the market,” says Mason, “as trends in the underlying commodities far outweigh managerial abilities, or the lack of.” Mason and his team of top analysts have a reputation for having been able to predict nearly every bankruptcy in the North American forest products industry, as well as highlighting some of the best upside returns as well. “Timing of investments in the forest products sector are key,” says Mason. Another of the keynote speakers at FIMO 2014 is Gary Myers, Managing Partner at TimberLink LLC (www.timberlink.net). TimberLink has advised clients from nine different countries with investments totalling over US$10 billion in commercial forestland around the world. Myers says, “Institutional investors with longer investment horizons and more efficient capital have successfully migrated into this asset class for diverse reasons.” His company monitors TIMO performance and track their investment strategies on behalf of current and prospective clients. TimberLink is not a TIMO and does not raise capital or manage property. According to Myers, “Our recent survey of TIMOs indicates that private investments in timberland approach US$50 billion on a global basis.” But according to Myers investors are not entirely satisfied with the present TIMO model. “Certain new pressure points are emerging that challenge the traditional TIMO approach to investing,” says Myers, “Recent trends where TIMOs offer funds only may be in contrast with some larger investors who want more control over investment decisions and influence on management through separate accounts.” Mr Mason and Mr Myers will be joined by a range of speakers with expert forest investment knowledge. This conference series also has a focus on China and other key wood products markets of importance to New Zealand and Australia. In New Zealand - to register call 0800 34 22 69 for express service. In Australia - to register call 1800 126 398 for express service. The Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) is running the 3rd biennial forest industry investment conference – FOREST INVESTMENT AND MARKET OUTLOOK 2014 – in Auckland on 9–10th April 2014 and Melbourne on 14–15th April 2014. This latest conference will focus on strengthening ties between the equity investment, finance and forest products industries in Australasia and now globally. New Forests are confirmed as the Principal Conference Sponsor. Australasia’s key industry associations have also indicated their support for this pan-industry meeting. To register online visit www.fimo2014.com . Safer log trucks for the NSW Central West
Fewer truck movements, safer vehicles and less wear and tear on local roads are just some of the benefits that will flow from a AU$6 million investment in new log transport vehicles by Oberon business Mangan Haulage, with the support of Forestry Corporation of NSW. Forestry Corporation of NSW Haulage and Sales Manager Tijmen Klootwijk said the safer and more efficient log trucks would transport timber from Central West pine plantations to local processors. “Each year around a million tonnes of log products are transported from Forestry Corporation’s softwood plantations to timber processors in Oberon, Bathurst and Tumut, which equates to around 30,000 loaded truck movements plus a further 30,000 return trips into the forest,” Mr Klootwijk said. “We want to see each and every one of these trips completed safely so, together with Oberon-based contractor Mangan Haulage, we’re investing in up to 10 next generation timber transport vehicles with significantly improved safety features". “These vehicles are equipped with the latest safety features including electronic stability control, anti-lock braking, automatic load tensioning, global positioning system, daytime running lights, lifting axles on the trailers and an on-board weight measuring system, as well as the latest emissions control technology". “They are also slightly longer than traditional haulage trucks, which means the load can be spread more effectively to reduce the centre of gravity of the load and greatly improve its stability. The new vehicles were not only safer, but the increased length means they also achieve an optimal payload more often as they do not reach the height restriction applicable to heavy vehicles in NSW". “In fact, even though they operate to the same legal gross mass as traditional trucks the introduction of these next generation timber transport vehicles has the potential to reduce truck movements in the region by up to 5,000 a year”. “The first next generation trucks have begun operating on local roads and already we’ve had great feedback from local drivers in the community who say they can see the improved stability in how the new trucks maintain their position on the road with very little side to side movement.”  US$1M invested in scheme to promote wood building benefitsAt a meeting hosted by the White House Rural Council last week, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new partnership to train architects, engineers and builders about the benefits of advanced wood building materials, and plans for a forthcoming prize competition to design and build high-rise wood demonstration projects.Innovative use of wood products is already beginning to change the face of construction across the country, and USDA is undertaking efforts to support these advancements. These efforts also support President Obama's Climate Action Plan goal of preserving the role of forests in mitigating climate change. The new training program Secretary Vilsack announced today will include a $1 million investment from the Forest Service and will be done in partnership with WoodWorks, a non -profit organization that provides technical support, education, and resources related to the design of modern wood buildings for architects, engineers, and developers. The Secretary also announced plans to launch a new prize competition, expected to begin later this year, for developers, institutions, organizations and design teams competing to demonstrate the architectural and commercial viability of using sustainable wood products in high-rise construction. The Department is planning to invest up to $1 million to launch the competition. One non-profit partner, the Binational Softwood Lumber Council, has committed an additional $1 million for the competition. The competition will help spur increased sustainability in construction and will give priority to applicants that source materials from rural domestic manufacturers and domestic, sustainably-managed forests.  Fitec Australia to merge with TABMA AustraliaAt the annual meeting of Fitec Australia Inc held yesterday, members voted unanimously to merge with the Timber and Building Materials Association Australia Ltd. The in principle agreement will be now be subject to ASIC and ASQA approvals.Over recent months there has been extensive discussion and analysis, independently by both industry associations, as to how the training needs of the forest and timber products industry may continue to be supported into the future, given increasing constraints around delivery and funding. This has led to joint discussions between the organisations, resulting in yesterday’s final approval by Fitec members. Fitec Australia Inc president and Timber Queensland chair, Chris Hay said, “This merger creates a fantastic opportunity for Fitec Australia to continue to grow and enhance its ability to service the forest and timber products industry, both in Queensland and beyond.” TABMA Australia Chairman, Peter Hutchison, also welcomed the move, saying “We are delighted to strengthen our immediate ability to service our QLD and NSW members, while simultaneously supporting the future of training delivery throughout the forest and timber products industry” Fitec Australia Inc will continue to be led by its current general manager Tim Isaacs, who has also welcomed the move. Tim said, “The opportunity to maintain our training base in Brisbane, while assisting TABMA in provision of delivery to members over all its service areas is fantastic in an environment where development opportunities need structured investment beyond current funded projects”. Tim’s role will now focus on marketing, service delivery and product development, with TABMA undertaking the considerable administrative burden of operating in a regulated environment.  Native timberland portfolios on the marketAs covered in a previous issue of Friday Offcuts, close to 6,000 hectares of highly productive, native forest owned by Ergon Energy in Queensland and New South Wales has gone onto the market. Four portfolios comprising nine properties totalling 5,898 hectares located in Doughboy, Mount Urah and Buaraba South in Queensland and Mount Marsh in NSW make up the sale.David Smith, CBRE’s Head of Timberland Transactions, said the sale has already generated widespread interest from a range of potential buyers with 18 entities having received the IM mid-week. “There is significant investor interest in these strategically developed portfolios, much of which is a direct result of the strong competition seen around recent offerings such as the Australian Forestry Plantations Trusts - formerly part of the Gunn’s estate, the greater Gunn’s estate and the FEA portfolio,” Mr Smith said. “What makes this asset unique is that it is made up of sustainable native forests that have been well managed for the long term sustainable production of long-length poles into the high demand hardwood pole market. The seller Ergon Energy, is extremely keen to negotiate a favourable ‘back to back’ off-take agreement for future poles and cross arms. This market is very secure underpinned in QLD and NSW by the Ergon Energy, Energex Energy and Essential Energy power networks wherein approximately 3 million poles are in use and over time are requiring replacement” says Mr Smith. Tasmanian forestry peace deal scuttledTasmania’s timber industry representatives have abandoned the forestry peace deal, declaring "the world has moved on'. After four years negotiating and implementing the Tasmanian Forests Agreement, it took less than a week for the new Liberal government to force industry to change its mind.Speaking after a meeting with premier-elect Will Hodgman, Forest Industries Association of Tasmania chief executive Terry Edwards stopped short of endorsing the Liberals' policy. “The TFA itself is no longer relevant because we have a government that was elected to tear it up,' Mr Edwards said. Wilderness Society spokesman Vica Bayley, a signatory to the deal, was waiting for formal notification that the industry was pulling out before announcing its next steps if the deal was dead. The industry backflip all but guarantees a return to open conflict between loggers and activists. Environment groups and the union representing workers were shut out of the meeting. Mr Edwards said the new government had a mandate to implement its forestry agenda. Details of the plan presented to industry will be kept under wraps until cabinet holds its first meeting, which may not be until the start of next month. Source: Newcastle Herald Tree swinging robot for steep land forestry?
A remote controlled tree ‘swinging’ robot modelled on stick insects and spider monkeys may revolutionise the way steep land forests are managed and harvested. The two-armed forest locomotion robot, nicknamed ‘Stick Insect’ because of its deliberate movements, can be manoeuvred from tree to tree without touching the ground, using a joystick control. The device has been developed by Scion in partnership with the University of Canterbury, Future Forests Research and the Ministry for Primary Industries under a Primary Growth Partnership Programme to improve worker safety in steep, rugged terrain. “I’ve been working on the concept of a tree-to-tree machine for over 10 years, and this funding has enabled the project to progress,” says developer Dr Richard Parker, Senior Scientist at Scion. “The challenge is to develop a lightweight remote controlled machine that can move over steep, difficult and sensitive terrain without causing damage to the ground, and yet tackle productive tasks such as felling trees, cost-effectively. “The Scion tree-to-tree machine, or ‘Stick Insect’, is a mobility platform. We have been trialling the device in the mechatronics and robotics laboratory at the University of Canterbury to better understand its operating capabilities and are now working to incorporate gadgets to perform tasks, such as sensors for measuring tree diameter, and custom-built saws for felling.” Richard built the initial working models himself from balsa wood with syringes for hydraulic rams. Scion recognised the potential of the idea and in 2009 developed a strategic theme around the tree-to-tree concept. One of the outcomes was the first radio controlled tree-to-tree device built with colleague Matt Watson (ScanTec Ltd). The FFR and MPI funding provided the opportunity to do some serious engineering with the University of Canterbury. With guidance from Professor XiaoQi Chen and Dr Stefanie Gutschmidt, Scion sponsored four students from the University of Canterbury Department of Mechanical Engineering to design and construct a quarter-scale working prototype as their final year research and development project. The prototype Stick Insect has a 2.2 metre reach and weighs about 50 kilograms. “The device is lightweight but robust, and can move using the trees as supports. Its full weight is supported by grippers on the end of each arm so it does not contact the ground at all,” says Richard. As part of the FFR programme, Richard is currently working with the university’s PhD students Chris Meaclem and Bart Milne, and Paul Milliken (Cutover Systems Ltd) who are developing instrumentation and software to better control the device. Richard is hoping to secure further funding to incorporate other functions. “We envisage that we can eventually develop a whole family of tree-to-tree robots which can perform productive tasks in the forest. Large robots to fell trees, smaller robots to prune and measure trees - perhaps even refuelling robots. They will still need humans to oversee their operation and maintenance, but they will be at a safe distance away from hazardous operations.” The group of University of Canterbury (UC) mechanical engineering students that designed the robot have also just won the national Ray Meyer Medal awarded by the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ). It’s is made annually for the best student engineering project from all universities and polytechnics. More >> Source: Scion Connections, www.scionresearch.com/ Is digital really greener than paper?
We've all received statements from our banks, telecommunication and utilities companies with a simple message at the bottom urging us to "Go paperless, save trees", often accompanied by a picture of a winding river or a green tree. Implicit in these requests is the assumption that going digital is better for the environment. But the paper industry disputes this. It is pushing companies to remove these claims, which it says are misleading consumers and aren't substantiated by adequate research. Two Sides, a membership organization representing the paper and print industry, recently announced that it has convinced more than 20 major US companies to remove their "anti-paper" green claims when promoting e-billing as more environmentally friendly than paper. The non-profit wasn't permitted to disclose the names of the companies due to privacy issues, but Phil Riebel, president at Two Side US, said the organisations were all Fortune 500 companies - banks, telcos and utilities. "We're challenging the environmental claims around electronic versus paper, and our arguments are that many things are not considered, such as sustainable forestry practices or the fact that a lot of people print at home," Riebel said. Two Sides and its members naturally have a vested interest in preserving the paper industry, but the organization's campaign does raise an important question: Is going paperless really better for the environment? more >> FAO launches new satellite-based dataNew data released on the International Day of Forests confirms that forest areas continue to decline globally, with the biggest losses of tropical forests occurring in South America and Africa. Improving information on forest resources is a key factor in halting illegal deforestation and forest degradation, said FAO on the International Day of Forests (IDF), celebrated by the United Nations. FAO is using this year's celebration to discuss ways to improve the availability of information on the state of forests at all levels: nationally, regionally and globally.Use of satellite technology to track forest changes The new assessment of changes in the world's forests shows the decline of forest land use between 1990 and 2010. According to the updated survey, the area of forest cover decreased by some 5.3 million ha/year, corresponding, over the period 1990-2010, to a net loss equivalent of nearly 4 times the size of Italy or the size of Colombia. The updated findings of a global remote sensing survey show that total forest area as of 2010 is 3.89 billion hectares or 30 percent of the total land area of the Earth. Forest loss and gains Worldwide, the gross reduction in forest land use caused by deforestation and natural disasters over the 20-year time period (15.5 million hectares per year) was partially offset by gains in forest area through afforestation and natural forest expansion (10.2 million hectares per year). There were considerable regional differences in forest losses and gains. The area of tropical forests declined in South America, Africa and Asia - with the biggest loss in absolute terms in tropical South America, followed by tropical Africa, whereas gains in forest area were reported for subtropical and temperate Asia. To develop the survey, FAO worked with more than 200 experts from 107 countries. The work is the result of a partnership between FAO, its member countries and the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC). More >> NZ log export update Export log prices are still increasing, but the in-market price rises over the past month haven’t fully translated into wharf gate returns due to shipping price rises. Unpruned log prices are up 1-2% this month, but pruned log prices stayed steady on average. There were 1% increases in northern North Island and northern South Island regions, but a 2% decrease in the southern North Island region. A-grade log prices increased further above previous records, and KS and KI grades are still at their highest points since 1993. NZ average returns at the wharf-gate are now leaving the 2011 peak well behind, with K-grade logs up $12/tonne on the April 2011 price, and A-grade logs are up $7/tonne. Shipping prices to China are currently about $7/tonne lower than prices in April 2011, but are increasing. Volumes exported in January were much higher than January last year. They exceeded 1 million m³ for the first time in January. Despite the Chinese New Year at the start of February, volumes exported to China were up by over 320,000m³ year-on-year. China China’s imports for January were higher than last year. There was a slight year-on-year increase in imports from NZ. Imports from the three main locations, NZ, Russia and the Pacific North West were steady, but supply from outside of these areas almost doubled. Imports of lumber were well down on a year ago from all locations. It is likely that the smaller import statistics were affected by the Chinese New Year celebrations taking place earlier than last year. Pacific North West Pacific North West log supply to China is increasing, and was up 32% year-on-year for the rolling quarter to January. China now accounts for 60% of Canadian export logs, and 45% of US export logs. Exports to China during January were up by over 370,000m³ over January a year ago. There’s also been an increase in lumber crossing the border from Canada to the US, as house building has increased. There was a 19% year-on-year increase in this cross border trade for the three months to January. The 68% of Canada’s lumber exports were exported to the US in this three month period, up from 64% from a year ago, whereas China’s share of exports fell by 2% to 21%. However, there was a 7% increase in exports to China year-on-year to China. Trends over the past two years show that China’s market share of Canadian lumber declines between March and July as US building increases. Russia Exports from Russia in January were higher than January 2013. Exports to China were up 39% to almost 900,000m³. This would make Russia the largest log supplier to China during January based on export statistics. Russian exports to other destinations were relatively steady with previous years for January but exports to China were up 252,000m³. Exports of lumber to China were also up by almost 100,000m³, a 24% increase year-on-year. Source: www.nzxagri.co.nz/agrifax Some pretty innovative uses of cardboard
Cardboard has long been proven a very flexible material, used to create products as wide-ranging as bicycles, helmets, buildings, and even a car. Take a look at the most innovative uses of the material that Gizmag has come across in recent years. Some of the designs in the article have been manufactured as a product which you can purchase right now, while others remain a concept (and are likely to stay that way). All display an innovative use of a material often considered worthy only for the trash. Included in the list is a cardboard bicycle. Israeli inventor and entrepreneur Izhar Gafni invented a working cardboard bicycle prototype that's constructed mostly from recycled cardboard, and promises to cost relatively little to manufacture. The bike weighs around 9 kg and incorporates unwanted car parts such as tires and a timing belt in the assembly. Despite its being constructed from cardboard, Gafni states that his creation will be perfectly sturdy and water-resistant, and it is rated to support a rider of up to 220 kg. We've no word on a release date for the cardboard bicycle. For a look at some of the other cardboard designs, click here. Jobs
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