The Forest Owners Association returns per hectare per year from forestry were above those of hill country farming. The Forest Owners Association has rejected Government suggestions that it would need to step in if farm-to-forestry conversions exceeded 40,000 hectares a year. Forestry Owners Association vice-president Grant Dodson said if the Government gave into "anti-tree" campaigners the country would fail to reach carbon neutral status by 2050, a goal enshrined in the Carbon Zero Act. Felix Desmarais/Stuff 50 Shades of Green protesting thousands of hectares of hill country farmland being converted to blanket forestry in the last couple of years. Returns per hectare per year from forestry were “well above” those from hill country farming, he said.

Source: Stuff June 22, 2020 16:52 UTC