WELLINGTON, May 23 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's government is stepping up efforts to control the spread of invasive wilding pines, with a 20 percent increase in funding that brings total investment to 12 million NZ dollars for the coming year.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay said on Friday that wilding pines are a major threat to the country's rural economy and landscapes.
"Wilding pines cost the rural community significantly and are often the bane of farmers' lives. We have an obligation to work with them to control their spread, and reduce on-farm burden," McClay said.
Over 2 million hectares of land across New Zealand are affected, and infestations are expanding at around 5 percent annually. If unchecked, the economic impact is estimated to reach 3.6 billion NZ dollars over the next 50 years, according to government statistics.
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard highlighted the environmental risks, noting that wilding pines harm native ecosystems, drain water resources, and increase the risk of wildfires.
Since 2016, the government has invested more than 150 million NZ dollars into the National Wilding Conifer Control Program, with another 33 million NZ dollars contributed by partners and communities, Hoggard said, adding that the funding will continue to support efforts across 10 priority regions, with work carried out by regional councils, Maori tribes, farmers, scientists, and volunteers. (1 NZ dollar equals 0.6 U.S. dollar) ■
