An interview with Cliff Walton, NCT District Manager Greytown
The geographic location of South Africa’s forestry sector makes it a key contributor both to the rural economy and in addressing the high levels of unemployment in these traditionally underserviced communities. The sector’s potential to create tangible and sustainable change to the lives and livelihoods of those in rural communities goes far beyond the direct jobs the industry creates.
“Through community investment initiatives, the forestry sector can truly transform the trajectory of individuals and small-scale timber enterprises. While in most cases this investment has some form of financial component, it is often the investment the sector makes to transfer knowledge, skills and mentorship that creates the greatest difference. Eight years after the project was initiated in Greytown in 2018, we are seeing quite amazing returns on this investment with the small-scale timber growers we have invested in winning NCT’s Tree Farmer of the Year Award. It is really rewarding to witness these growers becoming fully independent tree farmers, and in some cases sources of employment within their community”, explains Cliff Walton, NCT District Manager Greytown.
Cliff has been heavily involved in this collaborative project between NCT Forestry and NTE Company since its inception. “Part of the project’s success is due to the thought we have put into the selection process, ensuring our investment has the greatest impact. This is important, as our resources are finite so we need to carefully select those who will benefit most from the project. We looked for individuals who were already supplying NCT or NTE and have shown an ongoing commitment and passion for the sector.”
Even though the selection criteria was focused on growers who had supported NTE and NCT with their bark and timber respectively, prior to the project the supply was very intermittent, which created a challenge for the companies when it came to planning expected volumes. “We would find that some of the growers would sell their raw materials to agents, through informal markets and middlemen, for a quick income that was significantly below the market level”, Cliff explains. Through the project, these growers can benefit from competitive and profitable pricing for their raw materials. They are also kept up to date with timber industry trends and market dynamics (through engagement workshops and field days) as they are now fully integrated into the timber value chain.
In 2018, the first 6 hectares were planted, with NCT supplying the seedlings and NTE the chemicals needed to prepare the area for planting and manage certain wattle pests and pathogens. “One of the biggest changes was moving from the traditional woodlot approach, where management and harvesting was done on an ad hoc basis, to establishing a more commercial structure that greatly improved efficiency and productivity. In many cases, we were restarting the entire process as the old plantations we were working within had fallen into complete disrepair”, Cliff continues.
The direct monetary investment by NCT and NTE, while generous, has been completely overshadowed by the extension element of the project. “Right from the start, it has been the extension efforts that have provided the greatest returns. Simply going into these communities and showing the correct way to prepare an area for planting, or the best silviculture practices to ensure the greatest volume and highest quality of wood and bark comes out of these smallholdings, has such a tremendous impact. This is not only seen in what comes out of these smallholdings, but also in terms of the relationships NCT and NTE are cultivating with our small-scale timber growers”
This is where the community benefits from this initiative comes to the fore too, “one really important area where we have been able to have a big impact is educating the growers, but also the wider community, about the risks of forest fires. Through this initiative we are able to create awareness around the importance of creating firebreaks and pass on the knowledge needed to properly construct these. This is particularly important for our small-scale growers who do not have the capacity to insure themselves against fire risk, so making sure they have the right knowledge to both prepare for fire season and respond in the event of a fire”.
Every year since its inception the project has grown by around 6 ha, which may not sound like a huge amount but equates to approximately three additional households every year being integrated into the scheme and imparted with the knowledge and tools to become a successful and independent timber growers.
“It is a real honour to see individuals progress through the programme and ultimately leave it as a fully independent grower. The majority of the first generations of small-scale timber growers, who came on board in 2018-2019, are now successfully managing their landholdings with little need of any intervention from us. We still offer extension services and mentoring if they require it, but they now buy their own seedlings and many employ members of the community too”, Cliff continues
Today, around 50 hectares of community land in and around Greytown is part of the NCT/NTE initiative, developing skills and creating a direct income for around 25 households many of whom employ others too. It is not just the community that is benefitting from this amazing initiative.
“As time has gone by and we have built up a valued relationship with the individuals in the programme, and we have been able to use this as a platform for research institutions and academics to engage with our members and extend their forestry research into the community. This has been invaluable, especially when it comes to our understanding of forestry pests and diseases and gaining support for programmes to help to eradicate alien species”, explains Cliff.
This illustrates the real power of initiatives like this one, they grow far beyond their original remit and end up yielding all manner of benefits that stretch way beyond the initial individuals you set out to support. “I have grown during this process and gained a far greater understanding, and respect, for the constraints our small-scale growers face. Take water for instance, while our trees are solely reliant on rainwater each seedling is planted with 1l. For most of our small-scale timber growers, this water must be sourced from captured rainwater or the nearest stream, then decanted into 20l drums and transported into the field for planting. Each situation has its own set of challenges to successfully ensure available water infield for planting and I have a lot of admiration for the ingenuity and determination required by our small-scale timber growers to ensure it is there”, Cliff concludes.