Ukraine
Overview of timber sector of Ukraine
CONTENT UNDER REVISION
8.000
More than 8.000 entreprises
8.2
million m3 of logs produced (2015)
Supply chain actors
Ukraine’s timber and timber processing industry counts more than 8,000 enterprises, 500 of which are large and medium enterprises. 60% of those enterprises are active in the production of wood and wood products, including 25% sawmills. About 30% of the enterprises is active in carpentry. The remaining 10% covers the pulp and paper industry. The total number of employees in the timber sector is more than 120 thousand people (Popadynets 2014).
Production and processing
main harvested species
The main tree species are Scots pine, European oak, Common beech, Norway spruce, European birch, Common alder, European ash, Hornbeam and Silver fir. Coniferous forests (42% of the total forest cover) and especially Scots pine (33%) are predominant. As for hardwood the most important is oak and beech (32%). (FAO, 2004).
According to the data of FAOSTAT the industry of Ukraine produced in 2015 over 8.2 million m3 of logs, of which 36.5 % was exported. According to Probos (2007), about 80% of the total harvest volume is produced by the enterprises subordinated to the State Forest Resource Agency (former name State Committee of Forestry). Mean annual increment is quite low in these areas, about 5 m3 per hectare in Subcarpathia to 2.5 m3/ha/year in the Steppe areas.
Raw material is going to the timber, pulp and paper, furniture and resin industries. Commonly produced wood products for domestic and international market are: veneer, plywood, sawn timber, boards, various molded materials, charcoal, pellets etc.
Export
As we can see in the graph below, most exported timber products go to neighbouring countries. The export routes are via railway to the western border and over water via the Black Sea.
Data table
| Production (X 1000m3) |
Imports (X 1000m3) |
Domestic consumption (X 1000m3) |
Exports (X 1000m3) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| logs | 7.297 | 9 | 7.294 | 12 |
| Sawnwood | 3.650 | 30 | 400 | 3.280 |
| Veneer | 200 | 6 | 14 | 192 |
| Plywood | 180 | 50 | 96 | 134 |
ITTO (2019), data 2017