DFFE Minister Maynier Agrees to Restart Stalled Forestry Master Plan Engagements

Forestry sector delivers R38.5 billion investment and urges Government to unlock and protect timber supply

JOHANNESBURG: Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment David Maynier has agreed to restart stalled Forestry Master Plan meetings. According to Forestry South Africa (FSA), the commitment came during the Minister’s two-day visit to forestry sector operations in KwaZulu-Natal, where he agreed to set a date for the resumption of Master Plan meetings, including the first Executive Oversight Committee meeting. Minister Maynier also said he would work towards restoring structured industry-government engagement and that the visit would be the first of many with the sector.

FSA highlighted the sector’s R38.5 billion investments and the potential to unlock further growth and job creation reporting that the sector has achieved the Master Plan’s Level 2 B-BBEE transformation target, despite a challenging operating environment and geopolitical uncertainties. The sector’s major investment and transformation successes, against its Master Plan commitments, demonstrate its commitment to South Africa and to working with government on the unresolved deliverables.

Unlocking potential growth

The visit provided the forestry and forest product sector with a platform to raise a number of significant issues, directly impacting the industry’s ability to contribute to the national growth and development agenda. These relate to longstanding delays in new afforestation coupled with the lack of progress in the rehabilitation of Category B and C State plantations* and new afforestation constraining timber supply and the associated 104 000 rural jobs anticipated by the Master Plan. In addition to private sector efforts, additional government support for land reform beneficiaries and other community forestry projects was high on the agenda.

Furthermore, industry representatives were able to raise concerns with the Minister regarding the protection of South Africa’s existing plantations against losses from pests and diseases as well as fire. Highlighting the negative impacts of crime and criminality through timber and equipment theft and illegal mining on forestry land. It also provided a platform to alert the Minister to the pressures faced by the processing subsector from cheap imports and products made from unsustainably produced or uncertified timber.

“While these delays predate the Minister’s appointment, he nonetheless responded extremely constructively to the sector’s call for collaborative action,” noted FSA executive director Michael Peter.

“We could not have asked for a better first meeting with Minister Maynier. He was receptive to the challenges facing our sector and expressed a strong commitment to working closely with industry to deliver on the key objectives of the Master Plan. This engagement marks the beginning of a new chapter founded on collaboration and shared priorities, and I am confident it will deliver exceptional results,” added Peter, describing the meeting as both productive and encouraging.

Minister describes the opportunity as a “coalition for change”

Minister Maynier agreed to ensure the resumption of Master Plan meetings, including the possibility of chairing the Executive Oversight Committee meeting. In turn, the industry committed to their continued participation in this committee.

Minister Maynier invited FSA to submit a prioritised list of issues that can be resolved over the coming months, ranked according to urgency and impact, and accompanied by offers of practical support where possible. “The Minister requested that these priorities go beyond the Master Plan to include broader constraints affecting the sector, signalling his commitment to support the sector, even with issues outside his direct portfolio,” explained Peter.

FSA thanks Minister Maynier for dedicating his entire weekend to the programme and looks forward to working with the Minister to secure a sustainable fibre supply and bring the Master Plan’s investment, transformation and employment ambitions to fruition.

*State forest plantations are categorised by scale, purpose and management model:

Category B plantations: small-to-medium commercial plantations considered viable for management by small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs).
Category C plantations (woodlots): mostly smaller woodlots, primarily in former homeland areas. They were historically not considered suitable for large-scale industrial management but are vital for local timber and non-timber forest products.

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Author: Samantha Choles from Frog Commuications on behalf of Forestry South Africa.