Felling seems to decline

This year's felling in Swedish forests is expected to be lower in comparison to record levels of felling in 2021 and 2022, according to a new forecast from the Swedish Forest Agency.

Notified area for the month of August increased compared to August 2022

The latest statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency show that the area notified for felling in August increased, compared to August 2022. However, regional variations are still large. The area regarding applications for permits for final felling in montane forests was only one-eighth of the same month last year.

Sharp decline in forest fertilisation in 2022

Fertilisation of forest land fell by 77% between 2021 and 2022, according to the Swedish Forest Agency's silvicultural survey. Fertilisation has not been this low since the introduction of nitrogen fertilisation on forest land in the 1960s. The decline was caused by high fertiliser prices due to the war in Ukraine.

Increase in roundwood prices

The roundwood prices on delivery timber increased for both sawlog and pulpwood during the second quarter of 2023 when compared with the first quarter of 2023. The sawlog price increased by 3 per cent and pulpwood by almost 6 per cent.

Increased notified area for the months of June and July

Latest statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency show that the area notified for felling in June and July increased, compared to the corresponding months in 2022. However, the regional variations are large. The area of applications for permits for final felling in montane forests in June was almost four times as large as in June last year. In July, however, it was 18 percent lower.

Still low timber stocks

Timber stocks amounted to 7.9 million cubic meters on 30 June, according to the Swedish Forest Agency's survey. That is the lowest volume for this time of year since 2018.

Continued increase in felling costs

The cost of felling increased by 11 per cent in 2022, according to new statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency and Skogforsk. Costs for regeneration felling have risen every year since 2017, by 29 percent in all. The producer price index has risen by 42 per cent during the same period.

Notified area for the month of May at the same level as May 2022

Latest statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency show that the area notified for felling in May was unchanged, compared to May 2022. However, the regional variations are large. The area of applications for permits for final felling in montane forests was almost three times as large as in the same month last year.

Continued high felling in 2022

The Swedish felling remained high in 2022 and amounted to just under 96 million cubic meters standing volume according to preliminary statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency. The annual Swedish felling has been at a record level two years in a row, with the exception of 2005 and 2007 following the storms Gudrun and Per.

Average age for new forest owners is 47 years old according to new figures from the Swedish Forest Agency

There are approximately 10,000 new natural persons who own forests each year during the period 2004-2022. These are on average 47 years old and the gender distribution among these new forest owners is 47 percent women and 53 percent men. Furthermore, the trend continues with fewer forest owners and management units when compared to the previous year. This is shown by the Swedish Forestry Agency's latest ownership statistics.