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Ongoing costs of maintaining pines
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As with any primary industry enterprise,
pine plantations require ongoing management and maintenance to produce
a higher quality, and hence more valuable, product. It is a myth
that trees can be planted, then all that has to be done is to sit
back, watch them grow and collect massive profits at harvest time.
If this approach is undertaken, then at best less profit will be
achieved, at worst the plantation may be unsaleable.
In particular, pruning and thinning will
have a significant effect on the quality of timber that will be
grown. Both of these activities have costs associated with them.
The table below lists ongoing costs of managing a pine plantation
commercially. Some other costs not listed that plantation growers
need to be aware of include:
-
Fire
Insurance: Price varies
from $10/Ha at age 2 to $100/Ha at age 30.
-
Pest
and Disease Control: Sirex, May be required to control
Dothistroma and other Pests and diseases. Cost will vary according
to what the problem is.
-
Foliar
Analysis: May be carried out to determine any nutrient
deficiencies in the plantation and to determine if a late age
fertiliser application is needed. Cost will be determined by
the area to be sampled and the sampling intensity.
-
Roading:
Is needed for access for fire control and harvesting
operations. Costs will vary greatly depending on terrain, roading
intensity and whether all weather access is required.
|
Year |
Activity |
Cost |
|
2 |
Boron Fertiliser |
Boron is applied at
40 grams/tree (40 Kilograms/Ha). Cost of Boron is $40/Ha,
and cost of contract broadcast application is $80-$100/Ha. |
|
6-7 |
Non Commercial Thin |
The plantation stocking
is reduced from 1000 trees/Ha. to 700 trees/ha. The cost of
contract non commercial thinning is $300-$350/Ha. |
|
6-7 |
First Lift Pruning |
This is carried out
in conjunction with non commercial thinning. 400-450 trees/Ha
are pruned to 2.4 metres when tree height is 6.5 metres. Contract
cost is $1.10 to $1.40/tree ($440-$630/Ha). |
|
7-8 |
Second Lift Pruning
|
300 trees/Ha are pruned
from 2.4 metres to 4.5 metres when tree height is 8.5 metres.
Contract cost is $1.20-$1.50/tree ($360-$450/Ha). Second lift
pruning has to be carried out using ladders. |
|
8-9 |
Third Lift Pruning |
The same 300 trees/Ha
second lift pruned are then pruned to a height of 6.5 metres
when tree height is 10.5 metres. Contract cost is similar
to second lift pruning. Note that all pruning operations must
leave 4 metres of green crown to ensure that tree growth is
not significantly retarded. |
|
24-26 |
Late Age |
Fertilising This operation
is carried out following the last commercial thinning to boost
volume production. 600 kilograms of high analysis fertiliser
is applied aerially at a cost of $360/Ha for fertiliser and
$100-$150/Ha for application. |
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