The head of Portugal’s leading eucalyptus pulp producer, Altri, has threatened to halt company investment if Portugal continues to demonise the tree.
Paulo Fernandes gave this warning directly to the prime minister while signing contracts worth €125 million to expand the Celbi and Celtejo bleached eucalyptus pulp mills.
The PM responded with news of State funding to raise productivity in Portugal's eucalyptus forests.
Fernandes (pictured below) said that "Altri is willing and committed to investing in Portugal but will stop if the anti-eucalyptus lobby continues.
"The simple banning of the planting of certain species of tree, in this case the eucalyptus, preferring bushes to flourish, is not recommended," he warned.
Altri’s forests are handled by its subsidiary, Altri Florestal which has around 84,000 hectares under management in Portugal. Altri claims to be committed to promoting biodiversity, particularly in areas of high ecological value and already has replanted original trees in areas where its eucalyptus forests failed to grow fast enough.
"We are not apologists for monocultures, but our challenge is to increase productivity in the eucalyptus forest and also to monetise deserted areas.
“We do not agree with those who, sitting in offices and not knowing what a forest looks like, are limited to creating obstacles as if forestry somehow is taking advantage of society and the country.”
At the signature session for two the contracts at Celtejo's plants in Vila Velha de Ródão and Celbi in Figueira da Foz, Paulo Fernandes pointed out that these investments in the pulp sector show, "The confidence that the group has in Portugal and shows its long-term commitment to invest in the country when, perhaps, other markets also call for investment."
Fernandes couldn’t help but let the PM know his views on the eco-bunny tree-huggers and the associated environmental legislation that disrupts his eucalyptus plans.
"In the midst of various myths and demagogues, the eucalyptus forest is demonised, and with it, all the wealth creation that it provides, especially in rural areas.
“Economic development is not incompatible with preserving biodiversity, quite the contrary. Only an organised, profitable forest that has incentives for its renewal leads to the creation of wealth and habitat preservation.
"The alternative is abandonment and leaving forests to grow unproductive weeds and become fire risks,” stressed the Altri boss, adding,
"It is nonsense to have the majority of the territory workable, and year after year to see more and more unproductive areas: We have always liked to let the territory be covered in bushes instead of promoting new plantations.
“It is not uncommon to try to hinder investors by using all kinds of obstacles and regulations. This favours a reality that nobody cares about."
The prime minster countered this mono-cultural outburst by replied that "the great challenge in eucalyptus plantations is to improve average productivity per hectare, which is very low," and that management needs to improve to grow more trees on less land.
PM Antonio Costa said that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development this year will launch an €18 million tender to finance investments in improving euycalyptus productivity.
