The newest deforestation data issued by the Russian statistics department indicates that in January 2023, the volume of Russian forestry decreased by 10% compared to the same period last year, indicating the end of the winter season, which is the main production season for the Russian timber industry.
Hardwood and softwood roundwood harvests declined by around the same percentage in January 2023 compared to the same period last year: softwood fellings fell by about 9%, and hardwood fellings fell by about 10%.
The largest Russian timber-producing regions are Irkutsk area (-17%), Vologda region (-11%), Arkhangelsk region (-10%), Krasnoyarsk region (-22%), Kirov region (-27%), Karelia region (-22%), Primorye region (-14%), and Khabarovsk region (-31%).
The coming off-season of felling in Russia is not very good news for domestic timber merchants. What's more, this reduction in production may be a suspension of logging activities for many companies. For others, it could be a complete cessation of logging.
As one logging company in the Northwest Territories pointed out, companies with high costs, debt burdens and inefficient management have been unable to withstand competition in the log market and restricted markets.