Wairiki Chip Mill in Bua.

Woodchip export for the year has started with the Wairiki Chip Mill in Bua receiving two ships this week.

Mill’s Manager Operations, Zahid Begg says this is the first time in the history of the pine industry that two overseas ships are berthed for loading at the same time.

According to Begg, the first ship MV Ruby from China arrived last Saturday and is loading 55,000 tonnes of woodchips. It is scheduled to depart today.

The 2nd ship MV Maru from Japan arrived on Tuesday and will start loading about 17,000 tonnes of woodchips from today.

It’s scheduled to depart on Monday.

“We are expecting a total of six shipments this year with additional of one or two more and that will depend on how we go this year. But, we are optimistic we will fulfil all our shipments for all our buyers this year.”

There will be three woodchip shipments to China this year and three to Japan.

The Wairiki Mill expects to export close to 300,000 tonnes of woodchip this year.

Export was scheduled to have started in March but the oil price as well as weather conditions caused the delay.