FSA Notices

Precision Forestry Symposium 2014 - Call for Abstracts
14 June, 2013
Should you be interested in submitting an abstract, please send through as Word documents to Hannél Ham at
hamh@sun.ac.za
read more Request for DoL / Employment conditions commission to undertake study info forestry wages
3 June, 2013
Please find attached a letter written by FSA's Executive Director, Michael Peter, to the Director General of DoL in which a request is made for either the Department or, alternatively, the Employment Conditions Commission to undertake a study of forestry wages similar to that undertaken by BFAP on agricultural wages and upon which a decision was taken on the minimum wage in that sector.

read more FSC Chain of custody course announcement
3 June, 2013
AB Training is planning to hold an FSC Chain of Custody (CoC) course aimed at existing and prospective FSC CoC certificate holders  (chip/board plants/pulp and paper/sawmilling/agents/retailers/printing and publishing).
The course will be presented by Prof. Michal Brink, who has 11 years of FSC auditing and training experience on over 40 countries in the world.  His organisation has trained over 500 FSC auditors globally over the last 7 years.
  read more Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill gazetted for public comment
28 May, 2013
The main purpose of the Bill is to make provision for the reopening of the claim process until 31st December 2018.  Interestingly, the Bill also provides for the lodging of a fraudulent claim to be made an offence and the "cost" to the state of purchasing the land claimed and the "ability" of claimants to use restored land are now criteria to be used by the Court when deciding on a claim.  The latter are positive developments. read more FSA Annual Report 2012
27 May, 2013
The 11th annual FSA report - for the year ending 31st December 2012. read more Important notice: WSP reminder and FP&M Seta office relocation
27 May, 2013
Reminder for the submission of WSPs/ATRs and PIVOTAL Plans by 30 June 2013. Included in the attachment is a notice regarding the relocation of our Cape Town and Johannesburg to new premises. read more Small Holder Certification Project
14 May, 2013
Suitably qualified consultants with experience in the field of FSC certification are invited to apply for a contract to implement a "Small Holder Certification Project" read more Important Advice on Recovery of Stolen Forestry Machinery & Parts – Mark your Machinery
13 May, 2013
FSA received the following advice from Pieter Knipschild, Chairman of the Lowveld Timber Theft Forum in Mpumalanga. Thank you Pieter! This advice is proffered following an operation conducted by various Lowveld Timber Theft Forum members in early May 2013 to recover a Bell Logger which had been built from stolen parts (wheel motors, pump, engine, rotator, grab etc.). read more Industry Research Review - Commercial Forestry Research In South Africa
7 May, 2013
FSA is inviting prospective service providers to send it proposals for the conducting of an investigation of commercial forestry research in South Africa. read more Pine saw dust for Sirex related experiments
6 May, 2013
Pine saw dust requiredI am in need of several kilograms of pine saw dust to make Sirex diet media for Sirex-related experiments. Would be much appreciated if any member of the treehealthnet would be able to spare/collect the pine saw dust for me. Once available, we can arrange FABIANs that goes out to the field to pick it up. read more Weaker pulp markets are forcing pulp manufacturers worldwide to reduce costs, resulting in the lowest softwood wood fiber prices seen since 2010
11 December, 2012
The declining prices for softwood pulp during much of 2012 have forced many pulp mills to try to cut wood fiber costs to remain profitable. As a consequence, the wood fiber price index (SFPI) has continuously declined the past year and, during the 3Q/12 was at its lowest level since 2010, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly read more FSA Looking for a Business Development Director
4 December, 2012
Forestry South Africa is looking for a Business Development Director. This senior position, reporting to the Executive Director, will see you managing the Business Unit's activities and resources to ensure sector growth and development. read more FITPA/SAFCA - Report on the 3rd Annual Training Indaba
3 December, 2012
The third annual "Training Indaba", co-hosted by the South African Forestry Contractor's Association (SAFCA) and the Forest Industries Training Providers' Association (FITPA), was attended by approximately 60 delegates on 06 November, 2012, held in the auditorium of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, on the outskirts of Nelspruit. read more Agri SA Media Release – Clarification from Minister of Labour on sectoral determination for agriculture review
30 November, 2012
Agri SA welcomes Minister Mildred Oliphant's clarification of the legal process that applies to the review of agriculture's sectoral determination, of which minimum wages are an important element. It was clear from the outset that 4 December 2012, put forward by certain individuals and groups for the completion of a review of the determination, was both illegal and unattainable. read more The Global Timber and Forest Industry This Quarter - Wood Resource Quarterly
30 November, 2012
Excerpts from the 3Q 2012 issue of the Wood Resource Quarterly (www.woodprices.com)
read more Higher lumber demand in the US increased both US lumber production and importation in the 3Q/12, but sawlog prices have remained unchanged since 2011
30 November, 2012
The improved housing market in the US the past four months has resulted in both higher lumber production in the US and in increased importation of lumber. As a consequence lumber prices have gone up by over 30% from last year. However, sawlog price have remained unchanged so far this year, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. read more Timber Statistics Report 2010 to 2011
26 November, 2012
Report on commercial timber resources and primary roundwood processing in South Africa for the period 2010 to 2011. read more Timber Statistics Report 2009 to 2010
26 November, 2012
Report on commercial timber resources and primary roundwood processing in South Africa for the period 2009 to 2010. read more URGENT: PUBLIC HEARINGS ON AGRICULTURAL SECTORAL DETERMINATION
23 November, 2012
Following the farm labour unrest in the Western Cape, Government has put in place a process to review the Agricultural Sectoral Determination. In terms of this a series of Provincial public hearings have been arranged (see attached schedule). read more First discovery of Selitrichodes neseri in the field
20 November, 2012
It was with great excitement that we found the first Selitrichodes neseri wasp emerging from Leptocybe-infested material collected in the field. This material was collected from a site in Mtunzini, Zululand, where S. neseri was released in September this year. read more