FORSEE : Indicateur évalué

Indicator 3.2 : Roundwood harvested (value and volume)
Total area in Sousa Valley:
76706 ha

Forest area in Sousa Valley (2005):
29274,16 ha

Cost

TOTAL COST:

519,4 €

This cost include:

2-Data collection:

159,4 €

2-Data analysis:

360 €

Results

Wood harvested in Sousa Valley in 2006 (value and volume)

table1
Source: Foresters linked to the pulp and paper industries

Volume over bark bought at stumpage price by one local timber merchant in Sousa Valley between the years 2000 and 2005 per type of destination

graf1
Source: AFVS (Data collected by AFVS from one local timber merchant)

Volume over bark bought at roadside by one local timber merchant in Sousa Valley between the years 2000 and 2005 per type of destination

graf2
Source: AFVS (Data collected by AFVS from one local timber merchant)

Total volume of wood bought (at stumpage price and at roadside) by the timber merchant between 2000 and 2005

graf3
Source: AFVS (Data collected by AFVS from one local timber merchant)

Average weighted stumpage price paid by a local timber merchant for Eucalyptus wood in Sousa Valley per type of destination

graf4
Source: AFVS (Data collected by AFVS from one local timber merchant)

Average weighted stumpage price paid by a local timber merchant for Maritime pine wood in Sousa Valley per type of destination

graf5
Source: AFVS (Data collected by AFVS from one local timber merchant)

Remarks

In Sousa Valley the species marketed are Eucalyptus globulus and Pinus pinaster.

Timber produced by these two species can have the following destinations:

a)Eucalyptus globulus: Pulpwood, sawn wood, laminates, biomass/fuel.

b)Pinus pinaster: Pulpwood, sawn wood, agglomerates, laminates, biomass/fuel.

According to the NFI (2005), there is in Sousa Valley 3 449, 9 hectares of pure pine stands and 17 099, 51 hectares of pure Eucalyptus stands. The last being the specie that more contributes to the income of forest owners.

Eucalyptus wood is mainly consumed by pulp and paper industries. Pine wood is mainly transformed in sawn wood and laminates. According to local sources, timber with small diameter and without value for industry is used as energy (fuel) in restaurants, bakeries and houses. About 30 000 m3 of eucalyptus timber is used like this as well as 7500 m3 of pine wood.

Concerning the average weighted stumpage price over bark (Euros/ m3o.b.):

a) Eucalyptus globulus: The average weighted stumpage price of wood sawn decreases from 2002 to 2003 and increases from 2003 and 2005. The price of wood for pulp decreased in 2001 and after that is almost constant until 2004, declining again in 2005.

b) Pinus pinaster: The average weighted stumpage price of wood for sawn floats between 30 and 40 €/ m3 o.b. in the period 2000 – 2005 and the average weighted stumpage price of wood for pulp decreases from about 20 €/ m3 o.b to about 10 €/ m3 o.b, between the period 2003 - 2005.

Problems and Improvements

In Portugal there are not official data published on wood removals from private forests per municipality, only the wood removals from public forests are registered by Public Administration. Since there are no public forests in Sousa Valley, it was necessary collect that information close to the main actors of Sousa Valley wood market.

Thus, the main sources for this indicator are the foresters linked to pulp and paper industries and with other timber enterprises.

The volume of wood provided by these sources only covers the wood marketed and not the wood harvested for own consumption. For that reason the volume of wood harvested per year might be underestimated.

Concerning the wood prices at regional level, there are some official information published by SICOP - Forest Information System on Products and Prices in the Production, in the website of the Forest Services (http://cryptomeria.dgrf.min-agricultura.pt/). Other can be collected close to the same sources inquired for wood removals.

To improve this indicator it would be necessary to accomplish periodic inquiries to forest owners, timber merchants and timber enterprises through partnerships between the Forest Services and the local forest owners’ organisation.

Other way to improve the indicator would be to take advantage of the work that is going to be developed by the local FOA during the ZIFs management that will permit to record of data on wood removals available for the municipalities of Sousa Valley where ZIF’s are going to be implemented. The first ZIF 023/06 (ZIF EDS) to be implemented covers an area of about 7000 ha of contiguous forest land in the Southern part of the municipalities of Paredes and Penafiel. Here, the local FOA is preparing a project of joint forest management according to the legislation regulating these zones. This will include data collected on wood production and wood removals.

Using these sources it would be possible to have an information system on wood removals and prices for Sousa Valley region and to measure the importance of forest production there.

Remarks and conclusions

According to data collected there is a trend of decline of the nominal and real prices of eucalyptus wood with pulp as main destination, which seems to be the same time the main type of wood marketed in Sousa Valley. This suggests a decline in the income of forest owners.

Concerning this indicator, data provided by foresters linked to the pulp and paper industries and to the timber enterprises is possible to give an approximated estimative of the income coming from the selling of wood.

However, the information available by local sources on wood marketed in Sousa Valley is not so reliable as if it was taken from the official sources.

Main forest production is one of the indicators of Criterion 3 considered by NP 4406 2003. NP 4406 2003 considers that forest stands are maintained with the objective of maximization of the productivity of the main forest product (in Portugal can be wood, cork or fruits). This product is in the basis of the management system and is subject to the main cultural treatments.

In Sousa Valley, the main forest production is wood.

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