May 23, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has just released new wood availability forecasts for the Central North Island that indicate a steady increase in supply for the region over the next 12 years. Between 2008 and 2016 there is a projected increase in the Central North Island regional availability from 7.5 million cubic metres to around 10.2 million cubic metres per year. After 2016, increases in wood availability are expected to result in increased log supply with the potential for significant volume increases to around 12.7 million cubic metres per year after 2020. “The new forecasts will assist with future planning by both the forest industry and those agencies charged with ensuring the country’s infrastructure is appropriate,” says Gerard Horgan, Senior Analyst with MAF Policy in Rotorua. MAF, in association with the major growers and processors in the region, is currently finalising a report on the Central North Island Forestry Industry. The report will contain these wood availability forecasts along with descriptions of the region’s forests, wood processing industries and infrastructure. This report will also describe the opportunities and constraints facing the forest industry in the Central North Island, and is expected to be published by October 2008. The Central North Island is the largest forestry region in New Zealand. It is estimated that around 8 million cubic metres was harvested in the region for the year ended 31 March 2007. This is around 40 percent of the total New Zealand harvest for the year.