China: Forestry outputs leap 17.6% in value in 2007
16/07/2008 - 17:00
According to the latest news issued by the State Forestry Administration (SFA), China’s outputs of forestry and major forest products rose significantly in 2007. The total forestry output value of the nation reached RMB1.25 trillion yuan, up RMB188.12 billion yuan or 17.66% over the last year.
Timber outputs
Since the implementation of the Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP) in 1998, China’s output of timber had decreased each year until 2002, when it began to increase gradually. The output of timber reached a peak of 69.76 million m³ in 2007. Of the total timber output, output of logs was 64.92 million m³, up 6.22% over the previous year; output of fuelwood was about 4.85 million m³, down 3.1% from the previous year. In addition, about 8.58 million m³ of roundwood and 22.08 million m³ of fuelwood were removed respectively by farmers for their own use.
Sawnwood outputs
The output of sawnwood was 28.29 million m³ in 2007, up 13.78% over the previous year, of which 1.45 million m³ or 5.12% was tropical sawnwood.
Wood-based panel outputs
A total of 88.38 million m³ of wood-based panels was produced in 2007, up 18.98% over the previous year. Of the total output, 2.42 million m³ or 2.74% was made with tropical timber; plywood outputs reached 35.61 million m³, accounting for 40.3%; fiberboard outputs were about 27.30 million m³ (of which, approximately 24.99 million m³ was MDF), amounting to 30.89%; particleboard outputs were 8.29 million m³, making up 9.38%; outputs of other wood-based panels were 17.1809 million m³ (of which 77.07% was block board), accounting for 19.44% of the total (Figure 1). In addition, the output of veneer was 12.65 million m³. The production of wood-based panels were concentrated mainly in six provinces located in coastal areas in the east comprising Jiangsu, Shandong, Hebei, Guangxi, Fujian and Zhejiang. The combined output in these provinces reached 57.31 million m³ in 2007, accounting for 64.85% of nation’s total.
Wood flooring outputs
A total of 343.43 million m² of wooden flooring was produced in China in 2007, up 46.77% over the last year. Of the total amount, solidwood flooring comprised 77.84 million m² (22.67%); solid composite flooring was 113.48 million m² (33.04%), laminated flooring was 94.86 million m² (27.62%); and bamboo/wood composite flooring was 20.48 million m² (5.96%). Zhejiang Province was the most important wooden flooring producing province, with outputs reaching 63.32 million m² in 2007 and representing 18.4% of the country’s total.
Prices of main forest products
In 2007, the prices of some forest products rose while others dropped. Average price of logs was RMB638 yuan per m³, up 5.28% over the previous year. The average price of bamboo was RMB 11/piece, up RMB2 yuan over the previous year and wood chips were RMB700 yuan per solid m³, up 15.45%. Other products, such as sawnwood, dropped 1% to RMB1,004 yuan per m³. The average price of wooden flooring also fell to RMB128 yuan per m², down 6%, plywood fell to RMB1,909 yuan per m³, down 2% and MDF fell 5%. Hardboard and particleboard rose by 13% and 22% respectively.
