28/07/2021
The largest Pine (Carribean = Pinus carribaea) plantings in Vanuatu is on the southern most island of Aneityum, TAFEA province, around 800 to 900 Hectares, were planted between 1974 and 1987 at a spacing of 5x5meters square.(up to about 450,000 trees).
This was with the funding of New Zealand
government NZODA and with the coordination by Technical expertise of Ni-Vanutu Foresters (Harry Bulelam, Daniel Laeyang, Allan Vila, Rodney Aru, Roata Kichikichi) who had undergone training in New Zealand and Fiji.
One of the main objectives of the establishment of these plantations was to afforestate degraded Grassland over red Ferralic unproductive soil, and to increase the productivity of the land.
In mid 1990's as the trees were maturing NZODA funded Machinery and Equipment with Vehicles to harvest, process/mill the logs into Timber.
The Aneityum Forest Timber company was set up to manage the overall Operations.
The main operation was Utilization of the Pine trees, that is felling and milling into rough sawn timber. Other aspects of Plantation Management (Thinning, Prunin, Fire Control, Seedlings Production and Replanting) not been done.
Harvesting and processing has been continuing in a low scale for almost 30 years stopping for almost 10 years (2006 - 2016) in an area of about 50 Hectares.
As part of TC Pam Recovery program a special price of 5,000vt per cubic meter of timber was sold to members of the community for rebuilding.
Various Government Initiatives in different Departments are seeking potential avenues to assist the Communities in Aneityum to continue Harvesting and processing industry.
This year 2021 The Department of Forests has secured funds through New Policy Proposal NPP) for the Utilization of Pine
