PGR News from the Pacific

Posted 5:24 PM by Luigi

Niue forest project a bust - A news report and comment

ALOFI, Niue (Pacnews, April 23) - Niue's big re-forestation project has collapsed. The New Zealand funded aid program was designed to plant thousands of hectares of pacific hardwood, which could be harvested in 40 years. But five years on, the trees are not growing well and landowners who leased land for the project have bowed out. They were being paid to keep tree lines clear. However with increased migration, there is no one to look after the trees. A consultant from New Zealand has been working with landowners and the government to tidy up the project but sources from Wellington say NZAid will not allocate any more funds for the failed reforestation project.

Comment from Dr Lex Thompson

Disappointing to read but never really a 'big' re-forestation project even by Pacific standards. Another all-to-common case of development before research, and the choice of inappropriate poorly adpated species, in this case mainly mahogany. More recent small-scale field trials on Niue by DAFF have shown that certain native species such as Syzygium inophylloides and Terminalia richii (re-introduced from Samoa through SPRIG after it had become extinct on Niue) grow better with good form and timber properties (and I reckon mixed plantings of these and other species would have been a success, at least technically). On my visit to Niue last year we were shown a hitherto unknown population of sandalwood/yasi and this would have been a more appropriate tree species to grow in commercial plantations given its good adaptation & high value, compatability with nature conservation, Niue's poor wharf facilities and dwindling population/labour force and domestic timber needs, etc.



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DIVA-GIS	Wednesday, April 23, 2003 Posted 5:24 PM by Luigi Niue forest project a bust - A news report and comment ALOFI, Niue (Pacnews, April 23) - Niue's big re-forestation project has collapsed. The New Zealand funded aid program was designed to plant thousands of hectares of pacific hardwood, which could be harvested in 40 years. But five years on, the trees are not growing well and landowners who leased land for the project have bowed out. They were being paid to keep tree lines clear. However with increased migration, there is no one to look after the trees. A consultant from New Zealand has been working with landowners and the government to tidy up the project but sources from Wellington say NZAid will not allocate any more funds for the failed reforestation project. Comment from Dr Lex Thompson Disappointing to read but never really a 'big' re-forestation project even by Pacific standards. Another all-to-common case of development before research, and the choice of inappropriate poorly adpated species, in this case mainly mahogany. More recent small-scale field trials on Niue by DAFF have shown that certain native species such as Syzygium inophylloides and Terminalia richii (re-introduced from Samoa through SPRIG after it had become extinct on Niue) grow better with good form and timber properties (and I reckon mixed plantings of these and other species would have been a success, at least technically). On my visit to Niue last year we were shown a hitherto unknown population of sandalwood/yasi and this would have been a more appropriate tree species to grow in commercial plantations given its good adaptation & high value, compatability with nature conservation, Niue's poor wharf facilities and dwindling population/labour force and domestic timber needs, etc. * Comments: Post a Comment	Archive October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 RSS Feed Alternative feed Contact Tevita Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives. 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