In the spring, VR Group announced that it seeks new growth by establishing a subsidiary to purchase and operate wagons in Russia. The start-up of the company has progressed rapidly. The first 24 roundwood wagons have been completed and commercial traffic has begun for the first customer. The company operates under the name Finnlog. Source: VR Group
Segezha Group and Karelia Pulp have acquired the previously state-owned logging company Karellesprom. Karellesprom has been so far the largest independent harvesting company in Karelia, with annual allowable cut of 1.2 million cubic meters and actual felling of approximately 0.8 million cubic meters. The privatization process began in 2016. Sources: Segezha Group, Karellesprom, BSRforest news 16.11.2016 (in Finnish)
A new nature protection area ‘Dvinsko-Pinezhski’ has been established in the Arkhangelsk region, with 300 000 hectares of primary forests. The Russian WWF and other environmental organizations took the initiative to protect these forests more than 17 years ago. Negotiations during the protection process were the most difficult with the companies leasing forest in the area. Following the negotiations, it was decided to protect 300,000 hectares of the original 500,000 …
Sergey Anoprienko has been appointed new director of the Russian Forestry Agency. Previously, Anoprienko served as Deputy Director of the State Property Agency (Rosimushchestvo) and has education in administration, management and economics. Ivan Valentik, who headed the Forestry Agency from 2014, resigned in June. He was particularly criticized for his inability to solve the problems of illegal logging. Sources: Minprirody, Kommersant
Segezha Group has ordered from Raute Corporation machinery and equipment for a greenfield plywood mill to be set up in Galich, Kostroma region. The order is worth 58 million euros. The annual production capacity of the new mill will be 125 000 cubic meters, the production will start in 2021. Source: Raute Oyj
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation has launched a tender for expert work to start the preparation of new Forest Code. The work includes: analysis of the current Forest Code and identification of key problems during its period of validity (2007-2019) drawing up scientifically justified proposals for the preparation of the content of new Forest Code proposals for necessary changes to other Russian legislation an …
Decree of the Russian Government 31.8. N 1124 1) introduces changes to the application procedure for a softwood quota license for Russian wood harvesting companies. Subsequently, the application for a reduced export duty quota must include the date and number of the timber trade notification to the monitoring system LesEGAIS. The purpose of the amendment is to improve the verification of wood origin and the transparency of timber trade. Government …
According to the regional authorities responsible for forest firefighting, 291 000 hectares are currently being burned, of which 34 000 are actively extinguished (situation 3.9). During 2019, forest fires have been estimated at a total area of 10.1 million hectares. According to the Russian Forestry Agency’s satellite monitoring, by the beginning of September, forest fires (hot spots) have been detected in an area of 15.9 million hectares, of which 9.9 …
The average producer price* of softwood logs in Northwest Russia was EUR 38 per cubic meter in May-July 2019. The price of hardwood logs was 44 euros, hardwood rotary-cut veneer logs 47 euros, softwood pulp 23 euros and hardwood pulp 21 euros. The price of hardwood pulpwood for export markets was 23 euros. Producer prices for roundwood in Northwest Russia: There is no comprehensive statistical data available on market prices …
According to statistics published by the statistics service Rosstat, wood production in Northwest Russia was 9.9 million cubic meters in May-July. Wood production increased by 12 percent compared to the corresponding period in 2018. Industrial wood accounted for 91 per cent of wood production in May-July. Log production accounted for 47 per cent and pulpwood for 33 per cent. Wood production in January-July 2019 totaled 28 million cubic meters, an …