19 INTEGRATED ANNUAL REPORT 2024 TREE FARMING The NCT Group owns approximately 19 000ha of plantations. These farms have played an important role in ensuring that the Co-operative is a reliable supplier of wood into various markets and ensures that NCT meets its certified wood requirements. The owned farms act as a reservoir that can be activated in times of undersupply and operations can be slowed down during periods of oversupply. This occurred during the past supply season where E. smithii harvesting during the winter months was accelerated to meet the strong demand for this species and then, at short notice, harvesting was suspended in the aftermath of the Richards Bay fire. This was done to allow members full access to available markets. The plantation species planted on owned farms are based on market consideration rather than optimal growth. On suitable sites E. smithii is the species of choice because it has very good pulping properties and is the preferred pulpwood species for several customers. Mixed Eucalypt wood chip sales can be negotiated on the back of securing E. smithii deals. NCT farms supplied 61% of the timber for the 2023 DWC E. smithii project. Acacia is the other species of choice for NCT farms because this resource is sought after by export customers. E. grandis and grandis hybrids are planted on remaining suitable sites as the timber from these genotypes can be sold into Special Markets and is a useful resource for developing new markets for members. Fire is a major risk to the Tree Farming plantations, and NCT maintains a formidable array of fire protection equipment and standby crews. Built to specification fire tenders are maintained on estates and the newer tenders carry 6 000 litres of water with foaming units. The NCT firefighting capacity provides additional resources to the Co-operative and members in the areas where farms are located. This resource proved to be very useful with the fire at the Richards Bay mill, with farms deploying tenders that helped contain the spread of fire in and around the mill. The NCT Tree Farming Plantation Information Management System (PIMS) core features are currently operational, with ongoing user training. The main advantage of this cloud-based system is its capacity for smooth integration with NCT’s Oracle financials and supply chain systems. Work on the system is ongoing, with some peripheral features yet to be completed. Additionally, there are ongoing efforts to enhance and prototype existing processes. NCT Farms and Leases – Timber sales tonnes
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