Results of ABIMCI forestry sector study announced The Brazilian Association of Mechanically-Processed Timber Industry (ABIMCI) launched its ‘Sectoral Study 2019’ which addresses national forestry issues and provides profiles of the timber and furniture industry including socioeconomic indicators, market statistics such as production, consumption, export and import data.
This study highlights the importance of planted forests in Brazil which, in 2018, extended over an estimated 8.1 million hectares with 73% eucalyptus (5.92 million ha.), 20% pine (1.59 million ha.) and 7% with other timber species (591,000 ha.). Out of the 591,000 ha. rubber tree accounts for 39%, acacia (27%), paricá (15%) and teak (15%).
Hardwood species such as paricá, teak and poplar are traditionally used in the production of sawnwood and veneer. Other timber species that have been planted include African mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) and Australian cedar (Toona ciliata).
In Brazil, sawnwood and plywood from native hardwoods is produced mainly in the northern and central western regions of the Amazon. According to the ABIMCI study, production and consumption of Amazon hardwoods has declined in recent years.
Over the past decade production of hardwood sawnwood fell by almost 13% annually in the period 2009-2018. In 2018, Brazil produced 2.4 million cu.m of hardwood sawnwood, while in 2009 it produced 8.4 million cu.m. Brazilian production of hardwood plywood has also fallen.
In 2018, Brazil produced 249,000 cu.m of hardwood plywood from Amazon species while in 2009 national production was around 587,000 cu.m (an almost 60% decline in 10 years).
The decline in production is due, says the ABIMCI report, to environmental controls and bureaucratic hurdles in the approval process for forest harvesting and management permits.
