 In June the Finnish wood processing industry purchased only 0.36 million cubic metres of wood from Finnish private forests. The Finnish Forest Research Institute Metla says that this quantity is less than one fifth of the corresponding quantity in 2008. Wood purchases in the first half of 2009 decreased by 69 % in comparison with the same period last year. The reduced quantity was almost 80 % less than the long term average.
The average quantity of wood purchased from private forests in the month of June of the preceding ten years has been around three million cubic metres, i.e. almost tenfold the quantity purchased during June 2009. The standstill of wood trade has continued during the entire first half of the year.
Cumulative wood purchases in the period January-June 2009 amounted to only 3.3 million cubic metres, i.e. a reduction of 69 % in comparison with last year. This quantity constitutes a reduction of 78 % in comparison with the long term average. The reduction of sold quantities of pulpwood was greater than the reduction of sawn timber. The prices in June were approximately the same as those in May.
The weak international demand for sawn timber has repercussions on the domestic wood business. However, there seems to be a somewhat better demand for stands which are suitable for summer felling because sawmills suffer from a shortage of timber. Forest owners' 50 % tax reduction for timber revenues from this year's wood sales has boosted wood trade in 2009. Next year the tax reduction will be cut by half.
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