SP, TimberPro harvesting equipment demo impresses

*Checking out the big SP 761LF head, attached to a TimberPro TL 725D tracked, levelling harvester.*

A forwarder carrying a 20-ton plus load of pine logs down a 50% slope drew gasps from a group of experienced foresters and harvesting contractors attending a field day in the KZN midlands recently.

The forwarder was a TimberPro TF 840D, distributed and supported in South Africa by Zululand-based Logmech. The occasion was a field day hosted by Logmech on Sappi’s Clan plantation in the KZN midlands, the highlight of which was this demonstration of the TimberPro forwarder’s supreme power and balance.

When the highly skilled and experienced forwarder operator, Enoch Mthembu, stepped out of the vehicle having safely brought the load to roadside at the bottom of the slope, the foresters and contractors in attendance broke out in spontaneous applause. Enoch was clearly surprised by this reaction, as working in such steep terrain is all in a day’s work for him.

*The forwarder confidently approaches the steepest part of the slope, with a 20 to 22 ton load on board.*

*Spontaneous applause greeted the forwarder operator, Enoch Mthembu, who brought the load safely to the extraction road.*

Sappi Clan is located on the edge of the Karkloof escarpment with a lot of steep slopes, providing the mechanised harvesting team with plenty of challenges. It also provided an ideal location for Logmech to demonstrate the flagship logging equipment in their stable, namely the TimberPro forwarders and harvesters, SP Maskiner heads and their own Logmech grabs.

The day started with a static display showcasing the iconic red SP heads that are well known in South African forestry, and the MF42 and big MF86 grabs which the Logmech engineering team has developed specifically for the African market.

Also on display was Oregon equipment including saw chains, guide bars and sprockets.

The first stop was the TimberPro forwarder doing its thing on a ridiculously steep slope that did not look do-able. But the TimberPro forwarder, with a load of around 20 to 22 tonnes of pine logs on board, handled it with apparent ease with experienced operator Enoch Mthembu at the controls. A set of chains on the bunk wheels provided extra traction.

*Foresters and contractors at the field day give the TimberPro forwarder the once-over. Note the wide bunk which gives the forwarder a low centre of gravity, maximising stability.*

This demo should come with a cautionary advisory: don’t try this unless you have a machine like the TimberPro and an operator with the skill and experience of Enoch!

Next up was a demo by a tracked, levelling, purpose-built TimberPro harvester TL 725D, equipped with a big SP 761LF head. It operated efficiently on a steepish slope, felling, de-limbing and cross-cutting some pretty big pine trees with speed and precision.

Then it was on to a flatter compartment where the iconic SP 591LX, attached to a Hitachi excavator, was put through its paces. As Anders Gannerud of Swedish manufacturers SP explained, the 591LX is the head that put them on the map. It was developed in close collaboration with the Logmech team over many years, and is perfectly adapted to conditions in southern Africa. Productive, easy to maintain and tough as nails, the 591 has proved its worth and is now also widely used in some of the vast Eucalyptus plantations of South America.

SP 591LX head attached to a Hitachi excavator harvesting pine in the Karkloof.

Logmech’s Leon van Eeden said that the company has been operating in South Africa for 23 years, and they have been distributing and supporting SP heads since the very beginning. They carry a huge spare parts inventory, they know the heads inside out and are able to provide the back-up to ensure they keep working productively for thousands and thousands of hours. Logmech has sold 140 SP heads in the region to date.

They are also sole distributors in South Africa of the highly versatile TimberPro range of machines which include wheeled and tracked harvesters, feller bunchers and forwarders. The TimberPro’s are manufactured in the USA and are renowned for their durability, productivity and power. They are relatively simple machines to operate, are easy to maintain and are therefore well suited to rugged African conditions.

*Leon van Eeden of Logmech (right) provides info on the SP heads.*

The TimberPro’s come standard with 360° continuous rotation, allowing the operator to work effectively all around the machine. They are highly versatile and can be used as combo machines as they are equipped with a quick detached boom to allow conversion from a forwarder to a harvester.

The Logmech team has also launched a range of grabs which they have developed in partnership with an international manufacturer.

The field day was well attended by leading contractors and technical foresters who expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to see the harvesting equipment in action.

For more info on Logmech, TimberPro and SP heads in South Africa, visit www.logmech.co.za

*The TimberPro harvester doing the business in the Karkloof.*

Anders Gannerud of SP Maskiner, the Swedish manufacturers of the SP heads, explains the ins and outs of the 4th generation SP 591LX that has been developed in close collaboration with the Logmech team.

*The SP 591LX, attached to a Hitachi excavator, churning out cut-to-length pine logs.*

*Cut-to-length pine logs harvested by the SP 591LX.*

*The TimberPro forwarder loads up at the top of the slope.*

Mfundo Ngcobo - NCT Forestry PR/Communications/CSI

Join Mfundo as she takes us through a day in the life as a PR/Communication and CSI lead for NCT Forestry. She also talks about her journey to where she is today and the challenges she has faced along the way.

This is Part 2 in a series of role model videos produced by She Is Forestry SA...

She Is Forestry SA and partners have compiled a library of videos that showcase women who have had fascinating journeys and careers in forestry. These videos serve to inspire women to pursue careers in the forestry sector and educate the public on the wide variety of interesting roles and avenues that exist in the forestry value chain.

See Part One here: Zanele Nkhosi - SAFCOL Machine Operator

Researchers discover new type of wood

*Tulip Tree in Cambridge University Botanic Garden.*

Researchers have identified an entirely new type of wood that does not fit into either category of hardwood or softwood.

*This article was first published by the University of Cambridge on their website www.cam.ac.uk.

Scientists from the Sainsbury Laboratory at Cambridge University and Jagiellonian University, Poland made the discovery while undertaking an evolutionary survey of the microscopic structure of wood from some of the world’s most iconic trees and shrubs. 

They found that Tulip Trees, which are related to magnolias and can grow over 30 metres (100 feet) tall, have a unique type of wood. This discovery may explain why the trees, which diverged from magnolias when earth's atmospheric CO² concentrations were relatively low, grow so tall and so fast. This opens new opportunities to improve carbon capture and storage in plantation forests by planting a fast-growing tree more commonly seen in ornamental gardens, or breeding Tulip Tree-like wood into other tree species.

The discovery was part of an evolutionary survey of the microscopic structure of wood from 33 tree species from the Cambridge University Botanic Garden’s Living Collections. The survey explored how wood ultrastructure evolved across softwoods (gymnosperms such as pines and conifers) and hardwoods (angiosperms including oak, ash, birch, and eucalypts). 

The wood samples were collected from trees in the Botanic Garden in coordination with its Collections Coordinator. Fresh samples of wood, deposited in the previous spring growing season, were collected from a selection of trees to reflect the evolutionary history of gymnosperm and angiosperm populations as they diverged and evolved. 

Using the Sainsbury Laboratory's low temperature scanning electron microscope (cryo-SEM), the team imaged and measured the size of the nanoscale architecture of secondary cell walls (wood) in their native hydrated state.

Microscopy Core Facility Manager at the Sainsbury Laboratory, Dr Raymond Wightman, said: “We analysed some of the world’s most iconic trees like the Coast Redwood, Wollemi Pine and so-called 'living fossils' such as Amborella trichopoda, which is the sole surviving species of a family of plants that was the earliest still existing group to evolve separately from all other flowering plants.

“Our survey data has given us new insights into the evolutionary relationships between wood nanostructure and the cell wall composition, which differs across the lineages of angiosperm and gymnosperm plants. Angiosperm cell walls possess characteristic narrower elementary units, called macrofibrils, compared to gymnosperms.” 

The researchers found the two surviving species of the ancient Liriodendron genus, commonly known as the Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) and Chinese Tulip Tree (Liriodendron chinense) have much larger macrofibrils than their hardwood relatives.

Hardwood angiosperm macrofibrils are about 15 nanometres in diameter and faster growing softwood gymnosperm macrofibrils have larger 25 nanometre macrofibrils. Tulip Trees have macrofibrils somewhere in between, measuring 20 nanometres.

Lead author of the research published in New Phytologist, Dr Jan Łyczakowski from Jagiellonian University, said: “We show Liriodendrons have an intermediate macrofibril structure that is significantly different from the structure of either softwood or hardwood. Liriodendrons diverged from Magnolia Trees around 30-50 million years ago, which coincided with a rapid reduction in atmospheric CO². This might help explain why Tulip Trees are highly effective at carbon storage.”

The team suspect it is the larger macrofibrils in this 'midwood' or 'accumulator-wood' that is behind the Tulip Trees’ rapid growth.

Łyczakowski added: “Both Tulip Tree species are known to be exceptionally efficient at locking in carbon, and their enlarged macrofibril structure could be an adaptation to help them more readily capture and store larger quantities of carbon when the availability of atmospheric carbon was being reduced. Tulip Trees may end up being useful for carbon capture plantations. Some east Asian countries are already using Liriodendron plantations to efficiently lock in carbon, and we now think this might be related to its novel wood structure.” 

Liriodendron tulipifera are native to northern America and Liriodendron chinense is a native species of central and southern China and Vietnam.

Łyczakowski said: “Despite its importance, we know little about how the structure of wood evolves and adapts to the external environment. We made some key new discoveries in this survey – an entirely novel form of wood ultrastructure never observed before and a family of gymnosperms with angiosperm-like hardwood instead of the typical gymnosperm softwood. 

“The main building blocks of wood are the secondary cell walls, and it is the architecture of these cell walls that give wood its density and strength that we rely on for construction. Secondary cell walls are also the largest repository of carbon in the biosphere, which makes it even more important to understand their diversity to further our carbon capture programmes to help mitigate climate change.”

This research was funded by the National Science Centre Poland and The Gatsby Charitable Foundation.

This article was first published by the University of Cambridge on their website www.cam.ac.uk.

Article link: Scientists discover entirely new wood type that could be highly efficient at carbon storage | University of Cambridge

Photos supplied courtesy of the University of Cambridge

Wildfires cause havoc in KZN

*A sorry sight … a fine pine compartment burnt in the Karkloof fire.*

Wildfire season has kicked off with a bang in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands with a number of destructive fires that have claimed the lives of 14 people, destroyed dozens of homes and equipment and damaged thousands of hectares of commercial forestry and agricultural land, not to mention the loss of livestock and wildlife.

According to Simon Thomas of the KZN FPA, the number and severity of wildfires in the province has escalated during July due to high fuel loads and extremely hot and dry conditions prevailing across the region.

A wildfire that broke out near Boston in mid-July resulted in the death of seven firefighters who were caught in the flames when the wind suddenly changed direction. Three of the firefighters died on the scene, and four more died later from their injuries.

*The firebreak between the pine plantation (right) and the property on the left was hopelessly inadequate and failed to stop the spread of the fire.*

Reports have also come through of the recent death of a forester in the Ixopo area who was severely burnt when the wind changed direction causing a controlled burn to run out of control.

Sunday 7th July was another high fire danger day with a number of fires breaking out in Mooi River and Karkloof areas of the midlands. The Mooi River fire reportedly burnt a lot of forestry and conservation land around Mount Gilboa, and another fire in Karkloof that started up later that night burnt through a pine plantation as well as several smallholder farms.

The Zululand coastal area has been fairly quiet, but there have been some big fires in the Melmoth area, also in early July.

Simon says that land managers and fire fighters across the province are on high alert as the hot and dry conditions are continuing. He said that the weather forecast for the weeks ahead are very uncertain, but that there are hopes that early spring rains could bring some relief by mid-September.

In most cases the exact cause of the fires is very difficult to determine, but fingers have been pointed at deliberate arson fires. This seems to be the cause of the Karkloof fire as the ignition point is clearly identifiable in the landscape. According to local people there was no lightning on the day of the fire to cause ignition, and the Mooi River fire was too far away to have caused spotting.

Local smallholders in the area say that the fire breaks prepared by the plantation managers are hopelessly inadequate and did not prevent the fire – which was fanned by winds up to 70 km per hour - from entering their adjacent properties. Three dwellings were also destroyed in the blaze.

*Greg Gardiner surveys the wreckage of his family home that was burnt to the ground in the Karkloof fire.*

*The remains of Greg Gardiner’s water tanks, destroyed by the wildfire.*

Poachers have been fingered for starting the Boston fire. Apparently the poachers light the bush to drive out the animals so that they can hunt them down, and then the fire gets away.

Land managers are urged to be alert so that they can respond quickly to any fires starting on their properties. It is much easier to put out a fire when it is still small than it is to tackle a fire that is running out of control.

Members of the public are also urged to be vigilant, and to not start any fires in the open – especially on high fire danger days.

All landowners in fire-prone rural areas should be members of the local fire protection association, which are there to provide assistance and support throughout the fire season.

Zanele Nkhosi - SAFCOL Machine Operator

In a new series of videos, She Is Forestry SA profiles women who have had fascinating journeys and careers in forestry. These videos serve to inspire women to pursue careers in the forestry sector and educate the public on the wide variety of interesting roles and avenues that exist in the forestry value chain.

Women's Month is an ideal time to share these stories and celebrate the roles that women play in the industry, challenging stereotapes and bringing unique skills to every facet of the industry.

Zanele Nkhosi shares her forestry journey from general worker to machine operator, hoping this will inspire others to follow in her footsteps...

Smart software from CMO streamlines EUDR compliance

*Daniel von Heynitz, Chief Technology Officer at CMO, rolling out Tracer in Vietnam.*

The European Union's Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) marks a significant step in the global effort to combat deforestation and promote sustainable forestry practices. Enacted to ensure that products entering the EU market do not contribute to deforestation, this regulation imposes strict due diligence requirements on companies producing or trading in forest products. It affects the entire forestry sector - regardless of the country of origin.

By mandating traceability and verification of supply chains, the regulation aims to reduce the environmental impact of forestry operations and promote more responsible land-use practices worldwide. This policy not only influences producers and exporters in deforestation-prone regions but also reshapes the economic and operational landscape for forestry businesses globally, emphasising the importance of sustainability in international trade.

Achieving compliance with EUDR is a complex challenge, but CMO, a leading forestry software and services provider, has developed software platforms that streamline these processes, making them more accessible and manageable for businesses.

CMO offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to meet the diverse needs of smallholders, commercial forestry companies, and the broader supply chain, with a strong focus on compliance with the EUDR. CMO tailors solutions to ensure adherence to all major certification requirements, including Forest Stewardship Council (FSC^TM) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) standards, alongside EUDR compliance.

*Michal Brink of CMO doing an FSC Group audit on small-scale growers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.*

Empower is a comprehensive sustainability command centre developed to oversee and enhance a business’ compliance efforts. The principal aim was to create tech for smallholders to plan and control their farming practices. To this end, Empower gives the smallholder full control over their tree plot, with a clear picture of the standing volume of the trees planted and thus when best to harvest them.

One of its most notable features is the efficient onboarding of members, which simplifies the integration of new users into the system and ensures that all stakeholders are aligned with sustainability goals from the outset. Additionally, Empower facilitates comprehensive on-site audits, allowing organisations to conduct thorough evaluations of practices and processes to ensure adherence to established standards.

*FSC/EUDR group scheme members onboarded by CMO Thailand with Empower.*

Continuous improvement
The application also includes an Action Log, a vital tool for addressing and closing non-compliances swiftly. This feature helps in identifying areas that require improvement and provides a structured approach to managing corrective actions, thereby fostering continuous improvement. Moreover, Empower’s capability to manage stakeholders both nationally and locally ensures that all stakeholders are engaged and informed, thus promoting a coordinated approach to sustainability.

Empower becomes even more powerful when paired with Tracer, a tool that maps supply chains and monitors volumes and commodity movements in real-time. Together, they promote efficiency and transparency.

*Smallholders in Thailand get to grips with Empower.*

Tracer captures detailed product information, supplier data, and coordinates throughout the supply chain, providing a complete overview of the entire production and distribution process. This level of detail is crucial for generating accurate and reliable reports, particularly for the EUDR due diligence statements, ensuring full compliance with the stringent regulatory requirements.

Over the past year, CMO has collaborated with Weber & Schaer (W&S) in Germany, the Sabah Rubber Industry Board (SIRB) in Malaysia, and the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT) to promote sustainability practices and certification within the rubber industry. This partnership leverages CMO's Empower software to enhance sustainable practices and ensure compliance with industry standards.

In Vietnam, CMO has just concluded a successful trial for CMO Tracer in partnership with W&S in June and July 2024. The trial has allowed the first shipment of EUDR-compliant rubber to be sent to the USA. The users appreciated the simplicity of the new application, but also supplied valuable feedback around usability and language optimisation. The application was quickly adopted by the various processing plants that took part in the pilot project.

The CMO team, which has used its extensive knowledge and experience in forestry and certification to develop their software toolbox, are looking forward to scaling their EUDR solution for the benefit of the whole southern African forest industry – particularly where commercial farmers and smallholders are involved in the supply chain.

Wildfires are set to become commonplace

Here's how World Cup rugby star and farmer Kwagga Smith prepares for fire season...

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) reports that the increasing urbanisation of South Africa’s rapidly growing population is a significant factor impacting the risk of wildfires. They explain: “More and more people, assets and infrastructure are placed on the boundary or interface between developed land and fire-prone vegetation – what we call the wildland-urban interface (WUI) – where they are exposed to wildfires.” They go on to say that the combination of climate and vegetation characteristics that favour fires, and growing human exposure, results in significant wildfire risk across the country, especially in the southern and eastern parts.

“Unfortunately, the situation will not improve because climate change will result in more frequent and extended high fire danger periods and, therefore, an increased likelihood of severe fires,” they further add, advising that the best option is to reduce fire risks and keep them as low as possible.

Kwagga Smith a world-cup winning rugby player, is also a farmer in one of the highest fire-risk areas in our country. “The Dullstroom area has experienced some devastating fires and as a farmer, you need to be prepared at all times. Drawing from his personal experience, he shares valuable advice on fire prevention and safety.

These are his five top tips for BEING PREPARED for fire season:

Burn fire breaks

Start this process in summer rather than waiting until after the first frost. Burn the tracer lines so that it’s easy to burn the breaks after the frost kills the grass in winter. Apply glyphosate using sprayers to create a 1m wide strip along the fence line and another 1m strip about 20m into the farm. Once this grass dies off, burn it. Then wait for the frost, which will kill the grass in the 20m strip between the tracer lines. After the frost, burn this area. This final burned strip becomes your firebreak.

Skill up, Gear up

A fire break will not stop a fire though; it’s there to give you space to work from. Back burning, beating or some other form of firefighting, will still be necessary to stop a fire from spreading. It is, thus, essential that everyone is skilled and equipped to be able to manage fires.

Invest wisely

When you’re facing a raging inferno, any money saved from buying inferior equipment can quickly become a costly mistake. Rather invest in quality machinery that will perform reliably when it is needed most.

Be ready

Before fire season, service and test all necessary equipment. Make sure pumps and leaf blowers are easily accessible, chainsaws are sharp, tractors are fuelled, fire beaters are intact, and your ‘bakkie-sakkie’ is full. This will ensure that everything you need is ready and on standby. In the case of an emergency, preparedness can make all the difference.

Share the Responsibility

Fire defence shouldn't rely on a single person. It's crucial that multiple people know who to call and what to do in an emergency. Ensure that several individuals can take charge if you are not around, thereby creating a more robust fire response system.

“My dad always said “Goedkoop is duurkoop” – “Penny wise, pound foolish”. That’s why our family invests in Husqvarna’s sprayers, chainsaws, blowers and pumps to ensure we have quality, reliable equipment on hand in the event of a fire. You never know when you will need it and being prepared can make all the difference,” concludes Kwagga.

For more information about Husqvarna’s range of products and support, please visit https://www.husqvarna.com/za/

Braecroft Timbers receives top forest management award

Celebrating the award of the Bushbuck Trophy are (left to right) Jaap Van den Berg, Logistics, Fibre and Resources Manager, Sappi; Sihle Ndlovu, Forester, Braecroft & CHEP SSA; Gordon McKenzie, Senior Manager, Forestry, Braecroft & CHEP SSA; Axel Jooste, Sappi FSC Group Scheme Manager.

Braecroft Timbers (a wholly owned subsidiary of CHEP South Africa) has received the top award for sustainable forestry management practices in their South African plantations from the Sappi FSC Group Scheme.

The Bushbuck Trophy was awarded to Braecroft Timbers recently in recognition for their exemplary sustainable forestry management practises. The company operates 18 plantations in South Africa with a total of 7 500 ha planted to pine species. The timber harvested on these plantations is used to manufacture and repair CHEP pallets that are widely used in the transport and logistics sector. The farms are located in the Bulwer / Underberg district and are within 90 kms of CHEP’s Weatherboard Sawmill. They are managed by Forestry Manager Gordon McKenzie and a team of experienced foresters.

Braecroft Timbers has been a member of the Sappi FSC Group Scheme for the past 14 years, and has been the recipient of multiple awards acknowledging the organisation’s commitment to responsible forestry management practices.

The Sappi FSC Group scheme is part of the Forest Stewardship Council’s global network, which represents thousands of individual and member organisations committed to upholding forestry practices that safeguard and promote healthy, resilient forests worldwide. The Sappi FSC Group Scheme’s annual Member of the Year Award recipients are selected based on a yearly audit which measures compliance to FSC standards, and celebrates responsible forest management.

Braecroft Timbers first received the KwaZulu-Natal Award in 2014 and claimed the Overall Winner of the Bushbuck Trophy the following year. The organisation won the KZN Award again in 2017, and this year claimed the Overall Winners award for the second time.

*CHEP pallets under construction at the Weatherboard Sawmill, KZN midlands.*

"Winning this prestigious award from the Sappi Group Scheme reflects the effort our teams at Braecroft Timbers and CHEP put in to maintain the highest standards of forestry management," says Gordon McKenzie, Senior Manager, Braecroft Forestry. "This award demonstrates our commitment to help transform the timber supply chain in all markets we operate in by driving demand for sustainably sourced timber and responsible, regenerative forest management."

Forest certification compliance is an integral part of CHEP’s forest management strategy, and it’s no surprise that Braecroft Timbers farms have achieved dual certification by both FSC and PEFC.
CHEP’s unique pooling system epitomises the circular economy, with CHEP pallets being shared and reused (not sold) by clients in FMCG, Original Equipment Manufacturers and agricultural supply chains. Today, CHEP’s humble pine pallet underpins many of the world’s supply chains.
Ownership of its own sustainable pine timber farms in South Africa has provided the company with a reliable raw material supply and eliminated the need to import timber, which is time-consuming, expensive and environmentally unsustainable.

The familiar blue CHEP pallets used to store and move goods all over the world. These pallets are never sold, they are pooled and shared and repaired and used again and again.

NCT beefs up Chain of Custody assurance

*NCT’s Roger Poole and Eric Msomi inform the growers of the strict new chain-of-custody requirements. (Photo courtesy Mfundo Ngcobo/NCT).*

Small-scale tree farming on tribal land in the KZN midlands is alive and well, as evidenced by an enthusiastic turnout at a recent NCT field day at the co-op’s Ahrens timber depot, near Greytown.

This was a combined field day hosted by NCT’s Greytown regional office for growers supplying their timber to the Glenside and Ahrens depots. Around 80 tree farmers from the surrounding areas attended the field day to hear presentations from the NCT forestry team.

The focus of the day was on the need for growers to comply with NCT’s chain-of-custody protocols which are designed to ensure that every stick of timber crossing the weighbridge at the depot is legitimate, can be traced directly back to the grower, and can be verified by NCT head office if required to do so.

The reason for the elevation of chain-of-custody assurance to ‘High Priority’ in this little corner of South Africa is the growing raft of regulations around the world that are designed to prevent any illegal or stolen timber from entering the global supply chain, and more specifically, to stop illegal logging and deforestation.

*A well lined out small grower wattle compartment, Ahrens.*

European Union Deforestation Regulation

Central to all of this is the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) which came into effect in June 2023. This regulation requires that any product placed on the market or exported from the European Union did not result in deforestation anywhere along the supply chain, and that the products have been grown, harvested or obtained in accordance with the relevant laws of the country where the production took place.

The timber grown by NCT’s small grower members around the KZN midlands and in Zululand is sold as ‘controlled wood’ either directly as wood chips to markets in China and Japan, or to the Sappi-Saiccor mill on the south coast which exports the chemical pulp it produces to markets across the world. The wood chips and pulp are further processed abroad into paper and packaging materials or fabric, much of which inevitably ends up as finished products in the European Union.

The beginning of this global supply chain goes all the way back to every NCT member tree farmer who supplies timber to one of NCT’s depots – including the small-scale growers harvesting tiny one or two ha woodlots in Matimatolo.

*The tree farmers took the news about the CoC requirements to heart. (Photo courtesy Mfundo Ngcobo/NCT).*

Certified or controlled wood

In fact this regulation impacts upon every single farmer in South Africa that grows and sells timber that is used as raw material in the manufacture of products destined for mainstream global markets. This timber must either be certified by FSC or PEFC – or both – or at the very least must be sold as ‘controlled wood’ with full assurance of the legality of the whole supply chain.

Back to the Ahrens field day where the NCT team spelled out their requirements for purchasing members’ timber delivered to the depot. NCT is busy developing an app that runs on a mobile phone which will assist the growers to provide the essential info required to comply with their chain-of custody assurance. This includes taking and uploading a photo of the timber they have harvested before it leaves their plot on the short haul journey to the NCT depot. A marketer of clothing in Stockholm or Rome might request that photo to verify that the product he is selling has legitimate origins. Failure to be able to trace that timber all the way back to the grower would result in the mill gate being shut in the face of the timber supplier.

Another area of risk for the ‘controlled wood’ requirements of growers is the short haul transport from plantation to depot. Gone are the days when any old vehicle with wheels – licensed or unlicensed – can be used to haul the timber along dusty district roads from plantation to depot. If the vehicle and the driver and the load are not fully legal and legit, it’s game over. The chain of custody is broken and the timber cannot be sold as ‘controlled wood’. The mill gate will be shut once again.

*Gone are the days of delivering timber to the depot with transport like this – Zululand circa 2008.*

The growers attending the field day took the news about beefing up their chain of custody assurance pretty well. Some had questions around the difficulties they face in arranging suitable short haul transport, or navigating the technology required to use the app. But those are just some of the challenges that are going to have to be overcome if the timber supply chain is to remain intact.

FSA celebrates another successful year of business

*Changing of the guard (L-R) Mike Peter (Executive Director FSA), outgoing FSA Chairperson Andrew Mason and incoming FSA Chairperson Buhle Msweli. Photo: Samora Chapman*

FSA’s 22nd Annual General Meeting was held once again at the Fern Hill conference Centre in Tweedie in May, and was attended by a record number of members, forestry sector stakeholders and key office bearers from several government departments.

Andrew Mason handed over the FSA chairmanship to Buhle Msweli of the Small Growers Group as per FSA’s rotation policy, which has served the organisation well over the years. Duane Roothman of Sappi will serve as Vice-Chair for the year ahead.

In his opening address, FSA Executive Director Mike Peter, shared the good news that the Forest Sector has improved its BBBEE rating and achieved Level 3 for the first time, and that gender transformation efforts are bearing fruit in that women entering forestry programmes at tertiary education institutions in 2024 outnumbered men – also for the first time.

He also lauded the fact that the forest Sector’s engagement with stakeholders through the Public Private Growth Initiative (PPGI) is bearing fruit as the barriers impeding the progress of the Sector have been removed. However he cautioned that the hard work is not done as the sector needs to build on the opportunities thus created.

There were two excellent keynote presentations that kept attendees interested and provided fascinating perspectives on the road ahead for South Africa in general and the forest sector in particular. The meeting was held just a few days before South Africa’s general elections on May 29, and there was plenty of speculation as to what lies ahead for the economy and the country as the election results will have a massive bearing on the trajectory of our future.

*Dr John Endres, Chief Executive Director of the Institute for Race Relations, presented the keynote address. Photo: Samora Chapman*

The keynote presentation by Dr John Endres, Chief Executive Director of the Institute for Race Relations, appropriately titled ‘On the Edge’, provided a snapshot of the decline that has occurred across all South Africa’s economic indicators since 2008. This has resulted in low economic growth, fewer jobs, declining investment and the average South African is poorer as a result.

He said that the level of investment in the South African economy is way below what is required to turn the economy around because investors do not trust the direction that government policy is taking. Moreover the fact that almost half the people in South Africa are now receiving Social Grants coupled with an extremely narrow tax base, means that the South African economy is vulnerable and confidence is at an all-time low.

*Katy Johnson (FSA), Khosi Mavimbela (Executive Director Forest Sector Charter Council) and Julia Rees (Dargle Poles). Photo: Samora Chapman*

However our democratic processes still work and the looming General Election provides a glimmer of opportunity for political change. We may be entering a period of coalition politics which will be marked by volatility and an increasingly ineffective government, he said. The positive side of this coin is that it gives more space to the private sector to step in with solutions.

“The most successful political parties of the future will be the ones that manage coalitions the best,” he concluded.

Steven Ngubane of the Industrial Development Corporation provided info on the state development finance institution’s commitment to provide development finance for SMMEs engaged in the Agriculture and Agribusiness value chain, which includes forestry. He said the IDC plans to invest R1.4 billion in this sector over the next four years through their blended finance model. This model can be tailored to suite forestry which is a primary, low value and long term business.

*Incoming FSA chairperson Buhle Msweli (right) thanks the IDC’s Steven Ngubane for his presentation. Photo: Samora Chapman*

This model employs a 60:40 equity to credit ratio. This translates to an effective interest rate of 9% on finance packages up to R100 million, or 12% on packages up to R200 million.

Steven said that recipients of IDC finance packages are also required to invest their own funds in the enterprise, to ensure that they are fully committed to making it work.

After the business of adoption of the minutes from the 2023 AGM and the audited financial statements for the year ended 2023, attendees and guests were able to socialise and network at a vibrant cocktail after-party.

*L-R: Vusi Dladla of NCT, Norman Dlamini (FSA), Tebogo Mathiane (Department Forestry, Fisheries & Environment), Freddie Humphreys (Land Bank) and Steven Ngubane (IDC). Photo: Samora Chapman*

FSA Executive Committee 2024/25
Ex Large Growers Group
Duane Roothman (SAPPI) (FSA Vice-Chairperson)
Themba Vilane (Mondi)
Sean Brown (Merensky)
Itumeleng Langeni (MTO)
Sibalo Dlamini (SAFCOL)
Ferdie Brauckmann (TWK)
Penwell Lunga (PG Bison)
Gerald Stoltz (York Timbers)
Mark Armour (co-opted)

Ex Medium Growers Group
Andrew Mason - KZN MGG Chair
Murray Mason - KZN / S Cape
Heiner Hinze - Mpumalanga / Limpopo
Graeme Freese - Past MGG Chairperson
Danny Knoesen - Ordinary Member

Ex Small Growers Group
Buhle Msweli - KZN Provincial Chairperson (FSA Chairperson)
Musa Mcwensa - KZN Deputy Chairperson
Fhatuwani Netsianda - Limpopo Provincial Chairperson