Precision forestry is helping forest owners and managers to realise new value across the supply chain. If the Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan (ITP) is a roadmap for the future of New Zealand’s forestry sector, then precision forestry must be the turbo under the hood. Source: Timberbiz
The plan, unveiled at Fieldays in November last year, sets out actions to increase New Zealand’s onshore wood processing capacity and capability, maximising the value of wood and supporting the development of new industries, products, and markets both domestic and international.
In 2021, the sector contributed NZ$6.7 billion in export earnings, employing more than 35,000 people. The ITP’s goal is to grow the sector and see New Zealand become a world-leading producer and exporter of high-value wood-fibre products.
Following agriculture’s lead, even if it took a conservative 5% annual increase in productivity, based on current sector revenue, that would translate to revenue growth of NZ$316 million per year for the New Zealand forestry sector according to Claire Stewart Scion portfolio leader for New Value from a Digital Forest and Wood Sector.
Investment in forest technology is already super charging New Zealand’s forestry sector by enabling the workforce to create higher-value products more efficiently. Precision silviculture is advancing at pace, and the tools available to foresters is arming them with more information for decision-making than ever before.
With the sector hungry for ways to gain a competitive edge, it was no surprise that an event devoted to forestry technology attracted a record number of participants just two weeks before the ITP was launched.
The ForestTECH two-day conference in Rotorua brought together forest managers, technology providers and experts in the growing field of remote sensing and geospatial mapping from across Australasia.
During the conference, autonomous systems scientist Robin Hartley shared insights from Scion’s operational trials using remote sensing, spray UAVs and nutrient modelling, and participants heard from Scion principal scientist Dr Brian Richardson, who is heading Forest Growers Research’s NZ$25.5 million, seven-year Precision Silviculture Program.
The Government’s backing of the program, with NZ$10.2 million from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, shows it has confidence in the latest technology to create new value from planted forests and make highly manual and labour-intensive tasks more manageable.
The program is focused on integrating mechanisation, automation, digital technology and robotics in the areas of planting, pruning and thinning, as well as creating efficiencies in the nursery where seedlings start their journey through the value chain.
In announcing the program in May last year, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said the timing was right and emphasised how much the sector had to gain for the investment.
“A large number of forests planted in the 1990s are due for harvesting in the mid-2020s, so it’s an ideal time for this overhaul.
“The program has the potential to deliver NZ$530 million of value to the plantation forestry sector and NZ$190 million worth of innovative technology sales until 2035. Other benefits will be an improved pruned log supply for domestic wood processors, and use of the technology in indigenous forest establishment.”
Ms Stewart is equally passionate about the ability for precision forestry to deliver at scale and increase productivity for the sector.
She delivered the keynote address at ForestTECH, stressing how vital it is for the sector to keep evolving using data collectively as the means to drive efficiencies.
“The value that’s created in businesses that are valuing their data is considerable. In the future, and as we come under greater regulation for environment impact, we need to consider how we create new value. A data-driven, optimised system is the place to invest,” she said.
She says the agriculture sector has seen productivity gains of between 5% and 25% each year after adopting smart technologies.
“Following agriculture’s lead, even if we took a conservative 5% annual increase in productivity, based on current sector revenue, that would translate to revenue growth of NZ$316 million per year for the New Zealand forestry sector.”
