Friday Offcuts – 23 May 2025
Click to Subscribe - It's FREE! Welcome to this week's edition of Friday Offcuts.We’re pleased to unveil the programme for the upcoming Environmental Forestry 2025 conference. With the growing challenges of extreme weather, and the concerns highlighted in the recent Alt-F Reset report, this year’s programme promises timely and important discussion. In industry news, the AFPA has thrown its support behind the local timber sector during Australian Made Week (19–25 May 2025), highlighting its critical role in sustaining jobs, protecting the environment, and tackling climate change. Meanwhile, the Queensland Government has launched a new Timber Supply Chain Ministerial Roundtable, aimed at securing the future of the state's timber supply for housing. On the research front, Scion has initiated the world’s first field trial of gene-edited conifers - an exciting step forward in enhancing wood quality and advancing the bioeconomy. Other key developments include the world’s largest biochar agreement between Exomad Green and Microsoft, promising advances in exoskeleton technology for forestry worker safety, and a research funding boost from IKEA. Market updates reveal a drop in China’s softwood log inventories, with Radiata pine now making up more than 78% of the total. Meanwhile, reports suggest New Zealand’s export log prices may have reached their lowest point. Lastly, a quick reminder: with three months to go, more than half the tickets for the Carbon Forestry 2025 conference have already been sold. This popular event is on track to sell out soon. Catch up on these stories and more in another packed edition of Friday Offcuts.
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This week we have for you:
Support local timber products this Australian Made Week
This Australian Made Week, the Australian Forest Products
Association (AFPA) is calling on consumers to buy Aussie made timber and
wood-fibre products and support a sector that underpins local
manufacturing, regional jobs, our local environment, and helps fight
climate change, Chief Executive Officer of AFPA, Diana Hallam said
today.“Around 180,000 Australians are either directly or indirectly employed by the supply chain of Australia’s forestry and forest products sector, with many of those jobs located in regional centres and rural Australia, keeping these places alive. When consumers focus more on buying the locally made and manufactured, essential products we create, that means a stronger supply chain, a stronger sector and stronger communities,” Diana Hallam said. “We often find that consumers are very surprised just how many items essential for everyday life are made by our sector. Consider timber house-frames and furnishings like flooring and decking, cardboard packaging and tissue products, timber and particleboard furniture and shelving as well as magazine and news-print paper. There are so many examples. “When Australians buy Australian Made items, produced from Aussie grown and manufactured timber and wood-fibre, they’re supporting a great manufacturing industry, local jobs – whether they’re in the forest, timber mill or in transport and logistics. Our sector also operates to world leading environmental standards, meaning consumers can have peace of mind that buying Australian means buying sustainable and supporting an industry that fights climate change. “Remember to look for the iconic green and gold kangaroo logo to be sure you’re buying Australian Made. You can be sure it’s a sign of quality and support for so much more than just one product. It’s support for towns, families, communities, the economy and environment. When Australians buy Australian – we all win,” Diana Hallam concluded. Source: AFPA Image credit: Australian Made Campaign World-leading gene editing research
Scion has launched the world’s first field trial of gene-edited conifer as part of research aimed at improving wood quality and
producing materials to support New Zealand’s bioeconomy.
The Crown Research Institute has developed and implemented an advanced gene-editing technique known as CRISPR that lets scientists turn off a specific gene within the pine’s complex genome. This helps them understand what that gene does – which in turn builds understanding of how wood develops. Two sets of trees have been planted, each with a separate gene turned off. This aims to enhance timber quality and improve the process of converting wood into fibre (pulping) and sustainable chemical feedstocks for the bioeconomy. One of these genes is involved in the synthesis of hemicellulose, a renewable biopolymer The other is involved in the development of compression wood, which forms on leaning or bent stems to straighten them up. Compression wood behaves differently from normal wood during timber processing, leading to issues such as warping and reduced strength, as well as making the extraction of fibre and chemicals more difficult. The trees in this trial were initially cultivated in a contained greenhouse, where their wood underwent a comprehensive analysis. This research yielded unique and fundamental insights into the mechanisms of cell wall formation. The trees have subsequently been planted in Scion’s Environment Protection Agency-approved GMO field test containment facility to help scientists better understand how they perform under real-world conditions and to collect sufficient wood for relevant biomechanical experiments. Scion senior scientist Glenn Thorlby says the trees’ growth and development continue to be meticulously monitored. “This research will allow us to produce trees that, with optimised wood properties, will support the export of high-value timber and the biomass needed to replace petrochemicals as New Zealand transitions to a low-emissions sustainable bioeconomy. Additionally, Scion has also developed gene-edited Douglas-fir to create sterile trees that could be planted without the risk of exacerbating New Zealand’s wilding pine issue. These sterile trees would potentially act as a form of biocontrol for future genetically modified trees. “This will enable Douglas-fir to grow normally but not reproduce, helping limit its spread,” Glenn says. “By targeting reproductive genes, we offer a potential solution to New Zealand’s wilding pine problem.” Wilding pines occur when forest species such as Douglas-fir spread beyond planted areas, impacting native ecosystems and landscapes across New Zealand. More >> Source & image credit: Scion FIEA unveils programme for Environmental Forestry 2025
The Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) has announced the
official programme for its highly anticipated Environmental
Forestry 2025 conference. Shaped by significant input from
industry leaders, Scion, MPI, and past delegates, the conference will
run from 16-17 September 2025 in Rotorua, New
Zealand, complemented by insightful pre-conference and post-conference
workshops.“Our previous event successfully convened over 200 representatives spanning environmental, operations, technical, and management roles from the forest industry, alongside local and central government,” said John Stulen, Programme Director. “This conference is meticulously designed for those on the ground, those planning operations, ensuring compliance, and crafting policy.” A key highlight of the conference will be the keynote address by James Newman, Senior Science Advisor at the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. Newman will delve into the recently released and influential Alt-F Reset report, a landmark document poised to reshape the future of forestry in New Zealand and guide the enhancement of environmental strategies across the sector. Environmental Forestry 2025 will tackle pressing issues and explore innovative solutions, with topics including:
Explore the following links for the full Environmental Forestry 2025 programme and to secure your registration. Source: FIEA  Growing Queensland’s timber industry
The Crisafulli Government’s regeneration of the timber
industry is gaining momentum as Queensland leaders meet to shape the
State’s future timber supply. For the first time,
the Timber Supply Chain Ministerial Roundtable has met to progress the
Crisafulli Government’s election commitment to grow the industry
through a timber action plan.The Queensland Future Timber Plan (QFTP) will ensure the State has access to local timber required to build one million homes by 2044. The Roundtable includes representatives from Timber Queensland, AgForce, Queensland Farmers’ Federation, the Housing Industry Association, Forestry Australia, HQPlantations, Australian Forest Contractors Association and leading timber companies. The meeting marks a fresh start for the timber industry which has spent the last decade subjected to Labor’s anti-timber and anti-forestry agenda, which was full of hollow promises. The former Labor Government failed to deliver its timber action plan – which they committed to in 2019 and was meant to be completed in 2021 – which resulted in a timber shortage in the middle of Labor’s Housing Crisis. The Roundtable will support the Crisafulli Government’s 25-year blueprint for primary industries, which aims to increase the State’s primary industries production output to $30 billion by 2030. Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said the Crisafulli Government is up to the task of getting the timber industry back on track and this meeting is a critical first step in delivering a QFTP. “We’re serious about securing Queensland’s timber future, and that starts by working directly with the people who grow, harvest and process our timber,” Minister Perrett said. “This is about protecting jobs, building regional economies, and making sure we have the materials needed for the homes and infrastructure of tomorrow. “The Roundtable will provide practical advice on how we can meet growing construction demand while supporting innovation and sustainability across the supply chain. This is a landmark opportunity to rebuild future of one of Queensland’s most important and environmentally sustainable industries starting with the people who know it best.” CEO of Timber Queensland Mick Stephens welcomed the establishment of the Roundtable and the opportunity for industry to provide direct input into the QFTP. “The timber industry already plays a key role in ensuring we have local sustainable materials for housing and construction and through this plan we aim to unlock the barriers and opportunities to further increase the supply of timber to help meet the Government’s target of 1 million new homes over the next two decades,” Mr Stephens said. “Investment security for both the plantation softwood and native forestry sectors will be critical to bolster growing, harvesting and processing activities across the supply chain." The Roundtable will operate for 12 months in line with the QFTP development timeline. Source: Queensland Government Exoskeleton tech shows promise in protecting forestry workers
First study of its kind identifies the biomechanics of forestry
work and workers’ perceptions of this emerging technology.
The same exoskeleton principles that protect grasshoppers,
crabs and similar creatures could also help protect the 25,000 or so
workers in the job with the highest injury and fatality rates in
America: forestry.“Forestry is vitally important to our economy and our standard of living, but its workers pay a high price, with an injury rate that is 40 percent higher than the average of all other industries and fatality rates that are 20 to 30 times higher,” said Jeong Ho “Jay” Kim, PhD, a systems engineering expert with the Texas A&M University School of Public Health. In a recent study, Kim and co-author Woodam Chung, PhD, a forest engineer at Oregon State University, were the first to objectively measure biomechanical stress experienced by professional timber fellers during actual timber felling operations. They also evaluated forest workers’ perceptions of wearable exoskeletons—emerging technology already being used in other physically demanding industries such as shipbuilding and automotive and aerospace manufacturing. Kim said that most forestry injuries and fatalities are associated with manual timber felling with a chain saw and related activities such as delimbing and cutting felled trees into logs and other smaller pieces. These activities require forceful exertions, awkward postures, repetitive motions and hand-arm vibrations. As a result, more than 70 percent of forestry workers experience work-related musculoskeletal disorders, primarily in their shoulders and lower backs. These risks are magnified by the isolated, rugged conditions in which this work takes place—often on terrain with unstable footing and unpredictable weather, Kim said. Kim and Chung’s work was supported by the Economic Development Administration and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and published in the International Journal of Forest Engineering. Study participants were recruited as a convenience sample through local forest industry partners, the Pacific Northwest Agriculture Safety and Health and USDA Forest Service District Offices in Oregon and Idaho. The study had two parts. First, to identify the types of exoskeletons that would be most appropriate and beneficial, the researchers measured the biomechanical stress levels of 10 currently employed professional timber fellers—nine men and one woman, all age 21 or older—who performed manual timber felling while wearing sensors. Inertial measurement unit sensors were placed on the participants’ torsos (the midpoint of sternum) and the outside of both arms directly below the shoulder. As the participants worked their shifts of three to four and a half hours, all three sensors continuously synchronised via Bluetooth and saved the data. When the work shifts were completed, the researchers removed the sensors and saved the data into a cloud server. More >> Source & image credit: Texas A&M University School of Public Health  LIGNA celebrates its 50th anniversary
The woodworking community has a milestone birthday coming up:
LIGNA will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025. During
the height of the oil crisis in 1975 the world's leading trade fair for
the woodworking and wood processing industry emerged from HANNOVER
MESSE, where it had its home for many years as the continuously growing
“Woodworking Machinery Group Show” under the auspices of the
then Fachgemeinschaft Holzbearbeitungsmaschinen im VDMA e. V.
(Woodworking Machinery Association).LIGNA’s origins date back to 1950, when it was the first “Woodworking Machinery Group Show” at the “German Industrial Trade Fair in Hanover”, covering 2,780 square meters. In 1955, the area increased to 8,000 square meters, and by 1965, 22,500 square meters were already occupied. From May 28 to June 3, 1975, LIGNA celebrated its premiere in Hanover as an independent “International Trade Fair for Machinery and Equipment for the Woodworking Industry”. The event featured 720 exhibitors, with 50 percent from abroad, occupying 60,000 square meters. Since then, LIGNA has evolved into an established and pioneering event within its sector, attracting both exhibitors and visitors. It is widely recognized as a heavyweight in the capital goods industry within the international trade fair context. The general conditions for LIGNA's anniversary year 2025 are notably challenging. The industry is grappling with economic difficulties such as a decline in orders due to stagnation in the construction sector, diminishing sales, cost pressures, short-time work, a shortage of skilled workers, job cuts, and the implementation of new legal regulations for supply chains and the circular economy. Throughout history, LIGNA has been described as a steadfast anchor in tumultuous times, serving as an economic barometer. This resilience was evident in 1985 when, faced with a similar situation, the closing announcement included a quote that resonates with the current state of the industry: “Due to the innovations presented, LIGNA HANNOVER 1985 will have a lasting impact on the sales development of the timber industry in the coming weeks and months. It will become an important pillar of the domestic industry economy, currently weakened by the slowdown in demand in the construction sector.” More >> Source & image credit: LIGNA  SnapSTAT: Carbon emissions - if cement was a country On the global scale of carbon emissions, if cement was a country it would be the third largest emitter.
More: Climate Drift FEA Update: China softwood log inventoriesChina’s Softwood Log Inventories at Ocean Ports – FEA industry sources in China, report that softwood log inventories at the country’s main ocean ports totalled 3.52 million m³ on April 26th, 2025, down 8% (-318,000 m³) from late March, as follows:
Concentrated arrivals of radiata pine log vessels in Shandong have exerted pressure on sales prices. Meanwhile, continuous declines in arrivals of European spruce logs and North American logs have, to some extent, promoted a drop in inventories of logs from both regions.  In terms of overall sales, average daily sales volume reached just 63,625 m3 for the month, versus 72,500 m³ in April 2024 and 70,000 m3 in April 2023.  For more information on FEA’s China Bulletin, where this data is reported monthly, please visit the China Bulletin. Source: Forest Economic Advisors (FEA) NZ monthly export report - May 2025
As at mid-May, export log prices have reached what looks to be
the bottom of the cycle based on what we see happening in China and
India. NZ domestic prices are holding level with a tick up in
demand in some segments.We are currently experiencing elevated enquiry for more logs from our local sawmill owners. This is something we have not seen in a long time, long may it continue. The bottom of the export market is certainly not as severe as at the same time in 2024. Around NZ, many forest owners have pulled back production rather than lay logging crews off. This has resulted in reduced log volumes being delivered to Ports and that is exactly what is needed to allow the China and India markets to catch breath. Across the China eastern seaboard, daily sales have been ticking along well. These are not to levels we have seen in prior years, but at numbers hovering close to 60,000 m3 per day usage, it is clear demand is good but not great. As reported last month, the price falls in the market are the direct consequence of over production in NZ. Some of that is driven by some exporters taking big risks and trading losses, offering fixed prices over several months to gain market share. In some cases, the fixed prices are well above where they need to be for sustainability, thus the short-term gains stand to be eroded by longer term losses amplified by over-supply. Inevitably, my 30+ years of experience in forest products marketing tells me there will be casualties at the outer extremities of this behaviour. Within this jostling for position, prices for logs landed in China have remained remarkably stable. Compared to last month, about a US$2 per m3 drop. At the NZ wharf gate, a lift in the US$/KIWI$ exchange rate has helped to reduce price levels with the combination seeing log production being tempered. In China, inventory has remained around 4.1million m3 changing very little over the last 2 months. This is too high for a market with an ever-watching eye over Donald Trump’s tariff antics. A reduced vessel flow from NZ in May should see inventory reduce, and again that is exactly what is needed. I have stated many times how I believed tariffs will play out and the net impacts to US consumers and economy. The feedback I have been hearing is many US citizens believe China will pay the tariffs. This just proves propaganda and ignorance prevails. A recent report from FOREX NZ Ltd stated “Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, announced o/night that they would soon start raising prices later this month as a means to pass on the tariff costs onto consumers. This is likely to be the start of everyone doing this, as the reality that ultimately it is US consumers who will pay for them, starts to hit home”. More >> Source & image credit: Laurie Forestry --(2022)2.jpg) World’s largest biochar carbon removal agreement
Exomad Green, one of the largest producers of biochar carbon removal (BCR) credits globally, and the largest durable carbon removal (CDR) supplier in terms of delivery, has announced that it has reached a deal with Microsoft which will remove 1.24 million tonnes of CO₂ over a 10-year period. This is the largest BCR deal in history by volume, and among the largest across all forms of durable CDR.This long-term offtake agreement by Microsoft demonstrates biochar’s capability as a scalable, effective climate solution. The agreement marks the next phase of a proven, trusted relationship between Microsoft, Exomad Green, and Carbonfuture. It builds on previous transactions, the latest being from December 2023, when Microsoft purchased 32,000 tonnes of biochar carbon removal credits. “Today’s historic deal is testament to the relationship we have formed between Microsoft and Exomad Green, powered by Carbonfuture’s dMRV”, commented Diego Justiniano, CEO of Exomad Green. “Microsoft has shown true climate leadership and commitment by seizing the immediate potential of biochar as a carbon removal solution that is measurable and scalable, while demonstrating significant co-benefits across communities and in improving soil quality.” Biochar is a stable form of carbon produced by heating biomass in the absence of oxygen. It can be produced with minimal emissions and is a powerful soil enhancer. In this case, biochar is added to soil, where it will remain for hundreds of years, while improving soil health. Exomad Green’s unique approach transforms sustainable forestry residues – waste biomass that would otherwise be incinerated in firepits at sawmills – into biochar. It then delivers this biochar to local communities to use in agricultural soil improvement programs. This model delivers several co-benefits for the local indigenous communities and the broader population including soil health enhancement to increase agricultural productivity, reductions in local air pollution, and decreased urban fire risk due to lower incidence of sawmill residue incineration. Additionally, this deal incorporates several key features that are setting a new benchmark for how large-scale biochar carbon removal agreements are structured across the industry.
More >> Source & image credit: Exomad Green .jpg) Dry fire season wraps up with minimal forest damage
OneFortyOne’s fire season has officially concluded, marked
by notably drier conditions and an increased number of very high fire
danger days. OneFortyOne Green Triangle Forests General
Manager, Deon Kriek, commended the efforts of all crews and highlighted
the collaboration between industry brigades, the Country Fire Service
(CFS), and the Country Fire Authority (CFA).“The cooperation and readiness of our fire crews was excellent throughout this challenging season,” Deon said. “Collaboration with the CFS, CFA, and industry brigades has been vital in managing risk throughout the season and minimised the impact of the fires we did have.” “The entire crew’s commitment to working together to protecting the forest and the broader community should be acknowledged.” The new Penola fire tower was finished ready for the season’s start. “Our fire tower operators were crucial in detecting and monitoring fires early,” Deon said. “They were also supported by the Green Triangle Fire Alliance’s AI fire detection cameras, which operated around the clock.” Reflecting on the season, Deon noted the region experienced significantly drier conditions than average, which elevated the risk and severity of fires. “There were more very high fire danger days compared to the average,” Deon said. “OneFortyOne fire crews were on standby for 132 days, a substantial increase from the average of 88 days. During this time, we responded to 66 fires in our forests and other areas across the region.” “Despite the high number of fires, less than two hectares of OneFortyOne forests were impacted, and most importantly, our people went home safe and well.” To celebrate the end of the fire season, an event was held in Mount Gambier last week, bringing the fire crew back together. “The end of season wrap up was a great chance to get everyone back together, reflect, and recognise the work of all crews over what was a challenging season,” Deon said. Fire management activity including crew training exercises, prescribed burning, and fire break maintenance will continue throughout the year. Source & image credit: OneFortyOne  IKEA allocates 16,000 hectares of forests for research
IKEA is taking an important step toward improving global standards in
responsible forest management. Together with the European Forest
Institute and Preferred by Nature, IKEA will start a research
project that will explore, test and scale improved forestry practices,
strengthening climate resilience and minimising negative impacts on
biodiversity.In this research project, Inter IKEA Group, Ingka Group (the largest IKEA retailer), the European Forest Institute (EFI), and Preferred by Nature together will explore opportunities for biodiversity and climate-smart forestry across various forest types in Europe, starting in forests owned by IKEA businesses in Latvia. Inter IKEA Group and Ingka Group are funding the research project, as well as allocating 16,000 hectares of forest land for testing the different models and alternative solutions. The collaboration partners will apply science-based insights by adjusting existing forest management methods to selected forests where they identify opportunities for improvement. The aim is to improve the forest's resilience and biodiversity by combining existing scientific and practical knowledge with traditional and new forest management methods. Techniques that will be investigated and included in the pilot are: closer-to-nature forestry, continuous cover forestry, and other practices that incorporate climate change mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and the provision of other ecosystem services. “At IKEA, we recognise the vital role that forests and nature play in helping mitigate climate change. Climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation are closely connected. As a large user of wood, we want to contribute to protecting the valuable forests where we operate. In this project, together with our partners EFI and Preferred by Nature, we will investigate how forest management can adapt to changing climate conditions and contribute to climate change mitigation and increased biodiversity,” says Mikhail Tarasov, Inter IKEA Group Head of Forestry. “Our ultimate aim is to scale these successful solutions across the forests we own or source from, and to improve forest management standards going beyond the wood sourced for the IKEA business,” he explains. “It is of paramount importance to adapt sustainable forest management practices to cope with disturbances and extreme events caused by climate change, and to safeguard biodiversity to ensure enhanced forest resilience”, says Marcus Lindner, Head of EFI’s Resilience Programme. “In collaboration with IKEA and Preferred by Nature, EFI will review the scientific evidence for climate and biodiversity smart forest management and develop the scientific basis to support the development of new adaptive management strategies.” More >> Source & image credit: IKEA Otago & Southland forestry celebrate awards night
Friday 16 May 2025 saw another great event for the Forestry
industry in Otago and Southland, with the Southern Wood Council Forestry
Awards, held in conjunction with Competenz. The Forestry awards
celebrate success in Forestry and Wood Processing through the
presentation of 10 major industry awards, along with the industry
training certificates for the past 12 months.As with previous events, Friday evening brought in a huge crowd, with good numbers coming up from Southland and from right across Otago. This year was the first time the event was held in its biennial format and, while there was initially some concern that interest might have dropped off in the intervening year, this certainly wasn’t the case, and it was a hugely positive atmosphere on the night. “This year we saw record numbers of nominations for the prestigious industry awards and some exceptional quality people were put forward for recognition” says Grant Dodson, CEO of City Forests Ltd and Chair of the Southern Wood Council. There was an impressive list of nominees with a high level of skill and experience, which made judging the winner of each Award category, in my opinion, very difficult. (says Keith Raymond of Forest Growers Research, one the three independent judges). Keith also went on to say “I would like to congratulate all the people nominated for a forestry award. The Southern region has some great people working in the Forest Industry.” The winners of the 10 award categories were as follows:
More >> Source & image credit: Southern Wood Council  Jobs
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