Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Hapū urged to plant forests

Updated at 8:13 pm on 19 July 2011

The New Zealand Forest Owners Association says now is a good time for Māori landowners to be thinking about planting more trees.

Its president Peter Berg says a few years back forest owners in less accessible places were finding their trees uneconomic to harvest.

But he says demand from China and India has caused timber export prices to double, and the forestry workforce has grown by 10%.

Mr Berg says hapū with unused land, even in remote spots, might like to think about planting trees, given Māori are a key player in forestry in this country.

He says the profitability of forestry has fluctuated in recent decades, but with growing demand, and the need to collect carbon credits, the industry has a bright future.

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