Prices for pruned stems increase, logging residues drop
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)
The total consumption of logs was 23.8 million cubic metres (-11%), and that of pulpwood was 36.7 million cubic metres (-2%).
Softwood sawlogs see nearly 3% increase; pulpwood prices jump over 4%.
The cumulative harvest for January and February decreased 3% from the previous year but aligning with the five-year average.
In standing sales, prices for industrial wood in Finland continued to rise in February. Average prices for pulpwood rose by 3-5% by species, while prices for logs rose by up to 2%.
Finland's heating and power plants consumed a total of 22.4 million solid cubic metres (43.9 terawatt hours) of solid wood fuels in 2023, showing a decrease of 2% from the previous year.
Imports of wood increased by 5% compared to the monthly average for the year 2022. The most important source of imported wood in December 2023 was Estonia (42%).
Denominated in Euro, earnings increased by Euro 0.1 billion from the previous year and were the highest ever in Euro terms.
Finland's wood trade picked up in January 2024. The volume of industrial timber purchases was 7% higher than a year earlier and exceeded the average for January of the previous five years by 3%. Compared to the previous five years, trade in logs increased by 7%, driven by pine logs.
Roundwood removals decreased last year, totalling 69 million cubic metres. Log removals decreased by 9% and pulpwood removals by 8%.
The volume of energywood traded in 2023 increased by a quarter compared to previous years.