agmantoo said:
I have a few native Paulownia trees and recently when speaking to a forester the subject came up as to their value. He stated that periodically some Asian buyers did come thru and that they would pay a premium. There is a catch however. The buyers only want those grown in deep woods that have 20+ growth rings to the inch! There is no demand for the wood from those that are grown rapidly with few growth rings. Sounds as if this is another pyramid scheme with just a different "animal"
Your right, here's a more realistic view.
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18. Emerging Opportunities in Agriculture
7. Paulownia, an emerging forestry opportunity
Alex Jay
Kiri Forestry Enterprises Pty Ltd
Telephone: 015 257 545
Email:
[email protected]
Paulownia is a fast-growing deciduous hardwood tree native to China. When compared with conventional forest plantations, it can produce valuable timber in a relatively short time.
The species has been the subject of both hype and disparagement from many sources.
The industry is currently characterised by a large number of smaller scale growers, each with less than 10 ha of plantation.
Most of the commercial scale plantings, estimated to total between 1,000 and 1,200 ha, is managed on behalf of wood lot investors. More than 80% of Australian plantings of Paulownia are less than five years old and little or no timber product has yet come to the market from Australia.
Paulownia produces a light-weight, blonde/ straw colour timber with distinct growth rings and beautiful sheen and grain. It veneers and slices well for plywood manufacture and can be sawn and dressed for use in a wide range of internal moulding and decorative applications.
It has been used in China and Japan for many years.
Specific target markets for select quality Paulownia (known in the international market as 'Kiri timber') include furniture, interior boards, mouldings and veneers, where appearance is more important than strength.
Market development is required and a critical mass of volume turnout is needed to interest the market.
Good quality Kiri timber could replace some of the current imports of over 200,000 cubic metre of light rainforest hardwoods and softwoods such as Meranti and Western Red Cedar, altogether worth $160 million per year.
A 20% share of this market would require a sustained yield area of 3,600 to 4,000 hectares.
Based on import substitution, it is likely that finished Kiri timber will sell for $800 to $1,200 per cubic metre wholesale.
The highest prices will be received for large diameter (50-60cm) knot-free logs with decorative appearance.
For growing, suitable land will have free draining non-sodic soil, to a depth of at least 60cm, and a warm/hot growing season with adequate spring/summer rain or 3-8 Megalitres per ha per year of irrigation.
Intensive skilled management is required during the establishment phase.
Seeds of all Paulownia species are short-lived and have a low natural viability. Hence, it is not likely the seeds will cause the plant to become an invasive weed.
There have been a number of spurious claims made of the availability of genetically engineered and acclimatised varieties of Paulownia. Planting the incorrect variety can be disastrous in forestry, since the crop is long term, requiring substantial commitments of land, capital and time.
A Paulownia plantation can have between 300 and 600 trees per hectare at establishment and may take 12 to 18 years to reach final maturity.
Total yields over an 18 year growing cycle are likely to be around 420 cubic metres of saleable saw logs per hectare, yielding 200 cubic metres of sawn product.
The first commercial partial harvest or thinning can be expected when the trees attain a trunk diameter of 25 cm after six years.
The value of gross timber sales from a 16 year rotation with thinning is likely to be more than twice that from an un-thinned 10 year rotation.
Outcomes will vary, depending on site and market factors and the grower's objectives and management techniques.
Plantations of a minimum size of 10 to 20 ha will be required for economic management and returns.
High management inputs are required to make a commercial product within a reasonable time-frame.
This requires investments of $15 to $30 per tree over the first three to five years.
Small scale growers are unlikely to be able to sell logs to pine and eucalypt mills at equivalent stumpage until the product has had more widespread evaluation and consumer approval.
Timber processors face some technical challenges in preventing sap stain, discolouration and avoiding surface bruising.
Growers with on-going supply volumes should aim at milling and dressing their own timber in order to capture the maximum return from their tree crop.