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Commercial plantation forestry in South Africa encompasses the large planted forests
(established to supply raw materials to satisfy mining, construction, and industrial
markets) which supply the pulpmills, sawmills and factories which process the raw
materials.
Wood is a key raw material to which value is added in many industries in our economy,
for example in mining; construction of houses and commercial buildings; poles for
electricity distribution and telecommunications; furniture manufacture; pulp and
paper manufacture; and energy production.
South Africa's demand for wood is met predominantly from commercial forest plantations,
and not from natural sources or through imports for the following reasons:
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natural forests provide little wood suitable as raw material for industry (although
it does support a small but vibrant furniture industry)
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after the First World War, the Government focused on implementing policies of self
sufficiency
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the influence of the commercial opportunities offered through a domestic source
of lowcost wood.
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