The Economic Benefits of Forest Tree Breeding

SYNOPSIS The application of research results will increase volume production of forestry plantations and improve the quality of the raw material considerably. This paper illustrates that only one aspect of forestry research, namely tree breeding, will result in volume improvement of 5 to 30%. What does this mean to the industry in terms of money? It is shown that the discounted value of tree improvement potentially available to the industry, is more than R30 million per annum for the six major species grown in South Africa. By contrast, the cost of this research to the forest industry is very low. The present total research budget of less than 1,0% of the Industry's total annual turnover could be raised many fold and still leave the industry with vast “research profits”. If we are serious about self-sufficiency in timber production as stated in our national forest policy, then tree breeding must be our starting point because it will provide increased volume and more versatile and adaptable plantation trees.

Ҳали таржима қилинмаган