The sawmill industry has been particularly affected by a substantial decrease in oak and pine sawlogs. The available stock of pine sawlogs in Polish state forests fell from 1.32 million m³ in the first to 1.26 million m³ in the second half of the year. According to the Chamber of Commerce, this decrease of approximately 65,000 m³ is sufficient to supply up to five medium-sized sawmills with raw material. The total loss of deliverable pine logs is estimated to be as high as 115,000 m³. The supply of oak logs fell by 16% – from 99,189 m³ in the first to 82,580 m³ in the second half of the year.
The supply of pine pulpwood (S2A) has increased by 73,500 m³. According to the Chamber of Commerce, however, this is not an equivalent substitute for sawlogs or other high-quality logging products. In the long term, there is a considerable risk of shortages by the excessive harvesting of low-quality log wood.
The Chamber of Commerce warns of the risk of social destabilization and calls for a sustainable forestry policy with long-term planning. At the end of last year, the Polish timber industry had already criticized the planned moratorium on log harvesting and putting forest areas out of use.
