Hocking’s concern comes as foresters start to push back against claims being made, by the 50 Shades of Green group in particular, over the impact trees are likely to have gutting rural communities.
He agrees with Forest Owners Association president Peter Weir who has defended an advertisement Wood NZ sponsored, highlighting the value of planting fast-growing trees to counter global warming.
Weir accused anti-forestry protestors of creating fake news and being less than accurate with the truth when it comes to citing how much land has been sold into foreign hands for tree planting.
Hocking said his experience over the past 40 years of farming and forestry on sandy country near Bulls is living proof the two can work well together, with forestry returns generally being more positive than the drystock.
“I have been disappointed we have not seen a good recognition that a forestry string in a mixed farming bow can add tremendous strength to the farm’s value and income stream.”
Hocking is definitely not in favour of wall-to-wall planting of pines. That is a risk and something to be avoided.
“There are areas that should be returned to permanent tree cover on erodible country that is not suitable for harvesting. But there is also a place for mixed forest plantings where exotic trees like eucalyptus can act as a canopy to encourage native re-establishment.”
He is not aware of any farm foresters he knew taking up the Government’s planting grants and his own operation has never benefitted from any, with profitability standing on market log returns alone. But he also acknowledges the sandy country he is on is probably the easiest country to integrate livestock with forestry.
“But the beauty of forestry is that it does not demand the best quality land to still do well.”
In a broader national sense he maintains hectare for hectare forestry has proved to be a better earner than red meat.
Data for the 2017-18 year indicates red meat earnings off the country’s six million hectares of pastoral land were $6.7 billion while forestry earnings off 1.7m hectares were $6.4b.
“And this is at a time when we are still not adding enough value due to trade restrictions and issues offshore. It is still a good earner.”
While Hocking’s plantings were established without any subsidies or support his family took advantage of good extension advice and he supports funds being put into such advice under the Billion Trees programme.
“We want people who can go out and do a whole farm plan and say where you are better off planting trees and which trees you should plant.”
He has been encouraged by the number of Massey students doing the university’s trees-on-farms paper, worth 15 credits studying his property.
“My only criticism is they appear to get too intense around detail and just need to step back and see the bigger picture more.”
Further south award-winning sheep, beef and forestry farmer and Farm Forestry Association president Neil Cullen believes the carbon zero bill and water quality proposals are encouraging more farmers to plant trees.
“I went to a recent meeting on farm forestry run by the regional council and Te Uru Rakau and was struck by the number of people there who were not currently involved in farm forestry. They were people who may have 20ha of land they could put into trees who may not have considered it previously.”
He noted there has also been considerable interest in native plantings but they also come with challenges, including supply and higher establishment costs.
Farmers can apply for grants of $4000 a hectare to plant natives and $1500 a hectare for exotic production trees.
Cullen said the year one achievement of 30,000ha of new forest land planted is commendable, given it started from scratch.
