30 INTEGRATED ANNUAL REPORT 2022 It is important for NCT to ensure sustainability of the plantation resource from which the co-operative sources timber. This resource is under pressure from a changing climate, associated tree-health problems; economic pressures and mismanaged land-reform projects. Climate change is already a measurable reality and South Africa is especially vulnerable to its impacts. Weather patterns over the past few years confirm this trend with damage to plantations being caused by extreme events such as frost, snowfalls, strong winds, floods, extended hot dry periods and pests (insects and pathogens). Pest damage is often associated with tree stress, a changing climate is causing increasing stress to plantations and new introductions of pests are exacerbating the situation. Tree improvement and research A tree-improvement programme (including site species matching) is an essential component of a strategy to manage the impacts of a changing climate, the related pest damage, and to ensure sustainable volume production. Over the past 20 years, NCT has invested significantly in hardwood tree-improvement programmes including maintaining a broad genetic base; advanced generation breeding of important species; and developing a hybrid-clone programme to select superior genotypes and propagate them through cuttings (clones). Some notable achievements in the tree-improvement programme over the past five years include: • the development and release of novel hybrid clones selected for resilience and wood properties; • the development of rust-tolerant and frost-tolerant wattle breeding populations and associated seed production capacity; • the development and commercialisation of Acacia clones selected for frost tolerance and disease tolerance. In addition to tree improvement, NCT has funds research into plantation protection and silviculture. Certification Sustainability in the broad sense includes economic, environmental, and social interests. Forest certification systems have been developed to verify good practice with regards to these aspects. Certification has also become an essential marketing tool, with most customers requiring some form of independent verification. NCT is currently managing two group-certification schemes that are certified under the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) systems. These programmes allow NCT members to have their farm certified under the NCT umbrella. FOREST TECHNOLOGY
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