Since the introduction of the Afforestation Grant Scheme , the area of new forests planted has doubled.

A five year plan to revitalise new forests is proving to be successful as the number of trees being planted is back on the rise.

In 2015, the Government rebooted the Afforestation Grant Scheme farmers were encouraged to plant trees on erosion-prone land until 2020.

Successful applicants would receive $1300 per hectare for new forest planting, with priority given to applications addressing environmental issues such as erosion.

Since the introduction of the scheme, the area of new forests planted has doubled.

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* Careful planning critical before any planting forestry

* Forestry will be critical for farming systems of the future

* Landowners to be offered grants to plant forests

Under the previous scheme, from 2008 to 2013, more than 12,000ha of new forest was planted, much of it on erosion-prone land. The amount handed out then was almost exactly the same, $21.9m.

Between 2010 and 2012 alone, about 9000ha new forest area was planted.

After the scheme ended in 2013, the size of newly planted forest area dwindled to just 3000ha.

Last year, forest products exports were worth $5.47 billion.

Wood products are New Zealand's third largest export earner – behind dairy and meat.

The major log markets are China, Korea and Japan with China taking up 70 per cent of the export market. The US is the largest market for structural timber, fuelled by housing.

Learn more about the information shown above, and explore more charts, at Figure.NZ's site.