"Forecasts are difficult and factors can still be added that change the situation, but overall, our assessment is that 2019 will be another year with a very high harvest rate historically," Katarina Ekberg from the Swedish Forest Agency says.
Different factors are responsible for the increased harvesting, Ekberg explains. The logging area of 2019 is 6% higher than last year which indicates a larger interest in raw goods. The Swedish Forest Industries Federation expects the production of sawn wood and pulp to increase in 2019 compared to 2018. Stocks of roundwood and wood chips grew by 30% in the first half of this year compared to 2018, and the Swedish forest agency has estimated that stocks will be slightly larger by the end of the year than in 2018.
Imports of pulpwood grew in the first six months and exports declined, which slightly reduces the harvest forecast. "The forecast for 2019 is further hampered by the damage caused by bark beetles. In addition, the harvest level for 2018 is still preliminary in that final data on foreign trade and the collection of firewood are not yet produced," Ekberg points out.
