The Ministry for Primary Industries is providing grants of $1,300 a hectare for farmers to plant trees, and with grant applications closing tomorrow, farmers are urged to apply now.
Through MPI’s Afforestation Grants Scheme (AGS), any individual or organisation that owns land, has a right to use land for forestry or is about to acquire land, can apply for funding to go towards planting new forests between 5 and 300 hectares in size.
The AGS funding programme is designed to help establish 15,000 hectares of new forest in New Zealand between 2015 and 2020. The AGS has so far resulted in contracts to plant around 7,700 hectares of new forest around the country.
"Planting new forests on marginal land can help protect the soil beneath which benefits ecosystems, local industries and communities as well as the environment as trees can help offset carbon emissions and reduce the nation’s overall emission tally," says Director of Investment Programmes, Justine Gilliland.
"Native or exotic trees can be planted and your application can include a mix of forest species. A forest species is one able to grow to at least 5 metres in the place you've planted it."
Every application is assessed against eligibility criteria, which includes a technical forestry assessment.
Applications for the Afforestation Grant Scheme close at 4pm on Friday 28 April.