Upper Austrian sawmills are looking for softwood logs to fill their warehouses this fall. However, due to the shortage of roundwood, this is difficult. The upside is positive: damage caused by bark beetles was significantly less this year than in recent years due to the wet weather. As a result, fewer trees were taken from the forest.<\/p>\n
The amount of damaged wood caused by bark beetles is low this year. To contain the spread of the bark beetle as much as possible, foresters are removing infested trees from the forest as quickly as possible. However, this year, due to the wet weather this summer, there has been a lower incidence of bark beetle infestations. As a result, significantly less wood has been removed from the forests in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
According to the chairman of the Upper Austrian timber industry, Ferdinand Reisecker, this means that every tree that comes out of the forest is immediately taken over by a sawmill.<\/p>\n
Rising wood prices expected from autumn<\/strong><\/p>\n To meet demand, sawmills are turning to their regular suppliers, including forestry companies and logging companies, for fresh timber. The sawmills are already paying their suppliers five to ten percent more, says Reisecker. However, they also rely on long-term, long-term partnerships between sawmill and supplier.<\/p>\n According to Reisecker, the price increase has not yet been passed on. This is likely to change in the fall. Reisecker expects the price increase to be in line with inflation. He estimates that lumber will become three to four percent more expensive.<\/p>\n Forest farmers can thus offset inflation<\/strong><\/p>\n Franz Kepplinger, chairman of the Upper Austrian Forestry Association, emphasized to ORF Upper Austria that rising harvest costs necessitate price increases. Only then can forest farmers manage the forests sustainably.<\/p>\n Outlook on the timber market<\/strong><\/p>\n Christian Rottensteiner, timber market expert at the Chamber of Agriculture, expects the shortage of softwood roundwood to ease in the fall and winter. Rising roundwood prices are expected to encourage more foresters to harvest trees. In addition, Rottensteiner notes, the traditional harvest in the forest begins in October.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5204,5812],"tags":[3278,3287,3352,4188],"class_list":["post-96866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news","category-global-trends","tag-austria","tag-roundwood","tag-softwood","tag-wood-prices","topic-forestry","topic-lumber","topic-sawmilling","topic-wood-products","area-europe","area-global"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n