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Sawmilling South Africa News
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We are now one month back in full production, or are we? For mills to be back in full production we needed the market to get back into full swing, but that didn't happen overnight but rather slowly over the month. At least we seem to be getting there. Some mills are reporting that they are back at 75% of their pre-Covid sales volumes and that's encouraging, but others are only reporting 40% to 50% and therefore still have a long way to go.
What we do know for sure is that the sawmilling scene in South Africa will be different going forward and that our mills will need to adapt. We all knew that change was coming, but it was creeping up on us slowly, Covid has accelerated that change and now its into the unknown or the unexplored, whether we like it or not.
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Last month we reported that our challenge to section 9.5 of the regulations pertaining to the AQA was back on track and that we were once again dealing with the state attorney. This month we studied the states replying affidavit and submitted our suitable reply together with observations from our expert witness to the Gauteng court. Based on our interpretations we have a very strong case, and may not need to appear in court. Only time will now tell as we await the judge’s decision.
Following from all this was an undertaking from DFFE that they would suspend all compliance notices that had already been issued in accordance with section 9.5 of the regulations, and refrain from issuing any new notices until the matter has been resolved by the courts. This is good news for sawmills as it allows for the continuance of normal kiln activities without interruption until such time as judgement is made.
Reports from sawmills as to how their “start-up” went are confusing and conflicting with some mills reporting that they are already back up to 75% of their normal sales volumes and others saying that they are not even at 40%. This is most confusing and will, in our opinion need a few months to establish a pattern.
Some mills are also reporting frustration around the recommendations as to how to deal with cases of Covid-19 should they appear in the workplace. We can recommend that you read the following article: Here’s how to monitor and manage employees with symptoms of Covid-19
Alternately go to the guidelines that appear in the Covid-19 Occupational Health and Safety Measures in the workplaces directive as published by the Minister of Employment and labour on the 28 April 2020 www.gov.za/documents/disaster-management-act-regulations-29-apr-2020-0000
This month also saw us holding a Zoom virtual meeting with officials from the DTIC and the Department of Human Settlements in our efforts to get sawn timber elevated to an officially recognised building material and have it placed as an option on all future tenders that are issued by the DHS. Following this engagement the DTIC has undertaken to draft a document that explains the role of timber in construction and to circulate it to all government departments that are involved in building activity.
So I guess that will have to be enough for this month so until next month “keep safe, keep healthy and keep cutting straight and drying flat”
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Cheers until next time.
Roy Southey
Executive Director: Sawmilling South Africa
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COVID-19
Corona Virus
South African Resource Portal
www.sacoronavirus.co.za
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Newsaw Tally Service
NEWSAW is ready to roll out a simple sawlog tally service to the forestry and sawmilling industry in South Africa. NEWSAW recognised the need for a reliable 3rd party log tally service having observed numerous disputes arising out of discrepancies between, not only volumes (which NEWSAW also converts accurately to tons) but also actual log count. read more
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Wood-Mizer HR250 resaw increases Lowveld sawmill productivity
A Wood-Mizer HR250 twin horizontal resaw has a significant impact on the productivity and profitability of a prominent pallet component producer. Mitrek Sawmill, owned and operated by veteran sawmiller Peet Groenewald near Whiteriver in South Africa’s Mpumalanga Province, is no stranger to change. read more
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Interpretation of Safety Vessel Compliance Sparks Needless Fears
An interpretation of safety vessel compliance has caused confusion and concern in the timber treatment industry. Some plant owners have questioned whether they might be fined or even imprisoned should their vessels be non-compliant with government regulations, following a confusing statement. “This is not how our industry operates. We do not function from a premise of fear, but from one of knowledge,” said Bertus. “Dolphin Bay wishes to demystify the regulations and give the industry peace of mind.” read more
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Here’s how to monitor and manage employees with symptoms of Covid-19
With more workers returning to the workplace after the implementation of Level 3 lockdown, employers should take heed of the Department of Health Guidelines for symptom monitoring and management of essential workers for Covid-19 related infections. read more
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Wood Fiber Costs Declined for both Softwood and Hardwood Pulp Producers in 2019 and early 2020
Wood fiber costs fell for many hardwood pulp-producing countries worldwide in the 1Q/20. The biggest declines (in US dollar terms) were seen in the US South, Russia, and Latin America, where hardwood pulplog prices were down between 5 and 10 percent from the 4Q/19. read more
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UK tropical wood trade succumbs to pandemic impact
The value of UK imports of tropical wood products was US$360 million in the first four months of 2020, 19% less than the same period last year. Although a significant decline, the downturn is perhaps less than might have been expected given the exceptional circumstances surrounding COVID-19. read more
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Stora Enso and Latvijas Finieris develop lignin-based resin for plywood
Latvijas Finieris, a global leading developer, producer and supplier of birch plywood products, has together with Stora Enso taken the next steps towards replacing phenol – in resins used in plywood – with lignin. This new lignin-based glue significantly reduces the carbon footprint of plywood products all the way from production to final end-use applications without compromising on technical performance. read more
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Reducing moisture content in timber to save millions
Growers could save millions of dollars by furthering knowledge as to how timber dries while being stored, thanks to an FWPA-managed research project. Desktop planning tools and a smartphone app have been developed, supporting forest managers to optimise cost savings associated with infield drying of timber. read more
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Challenges, but some cautious optimism in UK hardwood market
Insights into the status of the UK sawn hardwood market came from a webinar organised by the London Hardwood Club in early June, featuring speakers from the UK tropical import sector alongside American and European hardwood producers. The event, which attracted 48 participants, covered pandemic impacts, species supply and demand trends, UK market acceptance of further processed hardwood products and market outlook. read more
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VACANCIES
To list your vacant positions here, e-mail: bronwyn@fevertreeemployment.com
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