Suz-Anne Kinney
The MarketWatch Blog is Transitioning to ResourceWise Forest Products
Forest2Market: July 14, 2023
Marcelo Schmid, Director of Forest2Market in Latin America, is quoted in Experts Say There Is a Risk of a Wood Shortage for Brazil's Forest Products Industry:
Domestic production of pine logs, wood used in the construction, furniture and pulp industries, is stabilized; there is a risk, however, that Brazil's planted forests will not be able to meet the growing demand for the pine logs needed to produce these products.
"Wood has a relatively short rotation cycle, which means it can be cut as early as seven years after planting. During the crisis, demand for wood fell sharply and small producers abandoned tree farming."
The result, according to Schmid, is that the total number of logs produced has been stable at around 49 million cubic meters.
Demand and price have now increased. "We are now consuming about 48.5 million cubic meters a year. Demand has increased, due to US trade barriers that limit Canadian timber imports."
Price of pine fiber, especially 25 cm to 35 cm and 18 cm to 25 cm, is increasing, according to Forest2Market's Delivered Price Benchmark for Brazil (PT and EN).
