"So we also welcome the Government's role in helping to fund research into steep-country harvesting, as well as in trialling alternative species that may perform better than radiata pine in terms of maintaining the stability of hillsides in the three or four years following harvest."
Mackie says net afforestation was the norm in New Zealand for many decades, peaking in the 1990s.
Since then new planting has fallen to low levels and, in some years, large areas of existing forest have been converted to dairying and other land uses.
"In some cases, this is because new technology and irrigation have made dairying the most valuable use for this land. In other cases, especially on steep hill country, plantation forests are more profitable than pastoral farming for the country and the landowner, yet landowners are not planting.
"In large part this is due to landowner fears about government and local government policy changes during the growth cycle of a forest," he says.
"Commercial forestry has the potential to make a very much bigger contribution to the economy and the environment.
"We therefore urge the Government to take a more holistic and long-term approach to its forestry-related policies so that landowners and investors have the confidence to invest for the long term."
Consultant search onThe hunt is on again for New Zealand's top dairy, sheep and beef agricultural consultants and emerging rural professionals with nominations for the Farmax Consultant of the Year Awards now open.
The winners will be announced at the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management's annual conference in Ashburton on August 3, and comprise awards for the Dairy NZ Dairy Consultant of the Year, the Beef+Lamb NZ Sheep and Beef Consultant of the Year, and the NZIPIM Emerging Rural Professional of the Year.
The $20,000 prize pool for the top three categories includes a paid overseas study trip, funds for professional development and funds to take paid hours off work to complete a project that will be of benefit to pastoral farming.
Fagan steps back inShearing legend David Fagan's retirement from show competition appears to have been postponed with his likely appearance in four tests for New Zealand in the UK in July.
The Te Kuiti shearer, and Hastings shearer Dion King, won places in the Shearing Sports New Zealand UK tour team after winning the New Zealand Shears Circuit and New Zealand Open Championship finals respectively at what was supposed to have been Fagan's swansong in Te Kuiti last month.
Sticking to his plans, Fagan turned down the place in the team, and was replaced by South Island shearer and circuit runner-up Tony Coster.
But Coster was available for only part of the trip and, expecting to be in the UK at the time, Fagan has stepped in for the latter stages.
King and Coster will shear the earlier tests against Scotland, England and Ulster, and Fagan will shear with King in the Welsh series, at Cothi, Lampeter, the Royal Welsh Show, and Corwen, all within nine days in mid-July.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland shearer Jack Robinson, who breezed through the lower grades in New Zealand while working in Hastings, with shearers such as 2014 world champion Rowland Smith, has won the first open final of the UK season. He beat world lamb shearing record holder and Republic of Ireland shearer Ivan Scott, at the remote Donard Shears, southwest of Dublin, earlier this month.
Next-level scheme openApplications for Rabobank's executive development programme close on May 29. It's open to progressive, strategic-thinking farmers from New Zealand and Australia.
Rabobank business programmes manager Nerida Sweetapple says it gives participants the opportunity to enhance their business management skills and take their enterprises "to the next level".
"We cannot underestimate the importance for leading farmers 'to stay ahead of the game and get that winning edge' when it comes to running a successful farm operation."
In its 19th year, the programme covers all aspects of rural enterprise management to help drive business growth, including strategic goal-setting, negotiating and people management.
Whiston takes chargeLIC, a farmer-owned co-operative that provides a range of services and solutions to improve the productivity and prosperity of farmers, has appointed Paul Whiston as chief executive of its new subsidiary business, LIC Automation.
Whiston, originally from Rotorua, was previously head of sales and marketing for Paymark, the bank-owned payment network operator, where he was also acting chief executive for a time.
Prior to that, he was based in London as general manager international for Simpl, a New Zealand information technology professional services company.
LIC chief executive Wayne McNee said Whiston brought a strong leadership background to the role, and extensive experience in senior roles for information technology organisations that operate in international markets.
Simply redThe New Zealand Veterinary Association is staging the Sheep, Beef and Deer 2015 Conference, "Red Meat Partnership for Profit" in Queenstown from June 3 to 5.
Keynote speakers include veterinarian and commentator Alison Dewes, Ministry of Primary Industries specialist adviser Richard Wild, and vet Mark Bryan, who will talk about the swede-related deaths in dairy cattle last winter in Southland.
The highlight on the last day will be an interactive debate on animal welfare.
Topics will include dehorning cattle, disbudding calves, tailing lambs, post velveting pain relief and the role of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Council.
Jeremy Leigh, Greg Chambers and John Smart will be among the debaters.
