2017 International Forest Industries Magazines June July 2017 | Page 10

LOGGING & BIOMASS NEWS
ARDCO Equipment is new dealer for Barko Forestry Products
Barko Hydraulics, LLC has
announced ARDCO Equipment
as its new dealer for logging
and land clearing equipment in
Louisiana. “ARDCO Equipment
is a great addition to our dealer
network,” said Alecia McKay-Jones,
dealer development manager for
Barko. “We look forward to them
representing Barko and serving our
valued forestry customers in the
Gulf Coast region.”
Based in New Iberia, Louisiana,
ARDCO Equipment will handle
sales and service of Barko loaders,
industrial wheeled tractors,
harvesters and feller bunchers. The
dealership was recently established
after several years of operating a
rental fleet in the area alongside
ARDCO’s manufacturing operation.
“We’re thrilled to be the official
dealer in the region for Barko,” said
David Langley, director of business
development and operations for
ARDCO Equipment. “Their rugged
lineup of forestry and logging
machines is a perfect complement
to ARDCO’s long-standing
reputation as The Off-Road
Standard.”
NZ log volumes hurt by recent stormy weather
New Zealand log supply will
likely be curbed by recent stormy
weather, as cyclones dented local
production and disrupted sea
freight.
“Rain and wind from the ex-
Cyclones Debbie and Cook lashed
the central and lower North Island
in the past fortnight, slowing
production rates and causing
damage to trees,” AgriHQ analyst
Reece Brick said in his monthly
forestry market report. “This should
slow offerings to the market, but
will obviously only benefit those
not impacted by the weather.”
AgriHQ’s Brick noted that the
East Coast and Hawke’s Bay were
significantly impacted, areas which
account for about 17 percent of
the country’s pine plantations. The
stormy weather conditions also
caused havoc to sea conditions,
forcing at least one ship to cancel
its booked shipments to and from
New Zealand, and delaying many
other shipments, Brick said.
“Ultimately, this will curb April
Reece Brick, Sheep, Beef
and Forestry Analyst
export volumes,” Brick said. Brick’s
monthly survey of exporters, forest
owners and saw millers showed
prices were little changed this
month. Domestically, structural
log prices for S1 logs remained at
$122 a tonne, while roundwood log
prices held at $92 a tonne. Pruned
logs were more varied, with the
P1 price lifting $2 a tonne to $179
a tonne while lesser quality types
were stable or weaker.
In the export market, all
measured grades were either stable
or marginally firmer, with A-grade
logs fetching $126 a tonne and
export pruned logs at $165 a tonne.
AgriHQ noted that shipping rates
to China had lifted and shipping
6 International Forest Industries | JUNE / JULY 2017
capacity was more difficult to
secure than earlier in the year.
“Commodity trading between
Australia and eastern Asia,
particularly in iron ore and grain,
is keeping capacity active in the
Pacific,” Brick said. “Weather
conditions in the wake of Cyclones
Debbie and Cook are also limiting
sea freight options.
“There is an increasing belief
that once commodity exports out of
Australia settle, shipping rates will
begin to weaken again.”