Galician forest owners invoiced 285 million euros for the sale of wood in 2024
The timber market remains stable in Galicia, with a volume of felling in 2024 similar to that of the previous year. In total, 9.1 million cubic meters were cut in private forests (individual and communal neighborhood forests), with a turnover of 285 million euros for the owners, according to estimates by the Galicia Forestry Association.
Galicia leads the national production of wood, followed very far by Castile and León and the Basque Country, which cut 3.5 and 2 million cubic meters respectively.
It should be remembered that all these felling data correspond to private forests (private communal neighbourhood forest owners and individual private owners), which add up to 98% of the wood cut in Galicia, while the remaining 2% comes from publicly managed forests, mainly from private communal neighbourhood forests with agreements with the Administration.
Of the total turnover of Galician forest owners, 167.2 million euros correspond to eucalyptus, 112.9 million euros to pine trees and 5.1 million euros to deciduous trees, which, beyond their use for domestic firewood, continue to have residual use in the wood industry.
In terms of volume of fellings, eucalyptus accounted for 58% of the community's fellings, with 5.3 million cubic meters, which represents a slight decrease, compared to 5.6 million cubic meters in 2023. In pine, which represents 39% of fellings, the situation is the opposite, fellings went from 3.2 to 3.5 million cubic meters. These are changes that fall within the logical oscillations of the market, depending on the demand situation, prices and the felling decision of the owners.
Hardwoods, on the other hand, continue to be residual, with 254,000 cubic meters, 3% of the total wood extracted from the forest.
Data by province
The forests of A Coruña contribute 44% of the total timber fellings in Galicia. Lugo follows, with 38.5%; Pontevedra, with 13%; and Ourense, with just over 4%.
By forest species, 60% of eucalyptus is cut in the province of A Coruña, while Lugo is the regional leader in pine fellings, with more than half of the total.
Pontevedra and Lugo stand out for the balance of fellings between pine and eucalyptus, as Lugo has just over 54% of pine fellings, 42% of eucalyptus and 3% of broadleaved trees. In Pontevedra, the figures are very similar, with eucalyptus leading the way in this case: 50% of eucalyptus fellings and 47% of pine, with 3% broadleaved trees.
In the case of A Coruña, eucalyptus cuttings represent 78% of the total, pine 19% and leafy trees 3%.
In Ourense, a province with little forestry activity, pine represents 77% of the fellings, followed by broadleaved trees with 14%, and eucalyptus, a species not very suitable for this province, with 9% of the fellings.
The pine trees
Pine fellings in Galicia are divided almost 50% between the maritime pine and the insignis pine, between both species they support the Galician sawmilling and board industry, with a notable participation of the Scots pine and other conifers.
The maritime pine's sales (Pinus pinaster) have a significant concentration in private forests in the province of A Coruña and in neighboring forests in the south of Pontevedra and Terra de Lemos.
In relation to insignis pine, Lugo concentrates the majority of the fellings of this species, highlighting the three leading districts in Galicia in pine fellings: Lugo-Sarria, Terra Chá and A Fonsagrada-Ancares. Between the three districts, they add up to 1.3 million cubic meters of pine fellings, around 40% of the Galician total.
It is worth highlighting an increase in conifer fellings of 20% in the last year in the Fonsagrada-Ancares district, a situation partly connected to the impact that the band disease is having in certain areas of the province of Lugo.
The eucalyptus trees
The three leading forest districts in eucalyptus felling are in A Coruña (Santiago-Meseta interior, Ferrol and Bergantiños-Mariñas in Coruña). The case of Santiago-Meseta interior stands out, which for the first time is positioned as the leading district in eucalyptus turnover.
The increase in fellings in the Santiago-Meseta interior forest district is linked to the increase in fellings of eucalyptus nitens, due to the plantations made in the last two decades that are progressively entering the felling cycle in the current period.
If in Santiago-Meseta interior, more than two-thirds of the eucalyptus cut corresponds to nitens, a situation similar to that of Terra Chá in Lugo, in the coastal areas, for now, the situation is more balanced, with around two-thirds of the cuts still being eucalyptus globulus.
Wood prices
After an exceptional market year in 2022, with high demand and prices, 2023 and 2024 confirm a trend of return to stability in both, although in conifers part of the revaluation that they had experienced in 2021 and 2022 is maintained.
Specifically, the average prices of pine remain 25% above those of five years ago, a percentage that increases for higher quality wood. Pine has an average price of €31.9, but 40% of coniferous wood is sold at prices between €42 and €65/m3 (standing price without VAT).
The eucalyptus, meanwhile, remains at prices similar to the average of recent years, with a slight rebound in the second half of last year, with its average annual price standing at €31.4/m3 (prices on the spot, excluding VAT and with bark).
It must be remembered that the price of wood is greatly influenced by the size of the plot to be cut and the accessibility for cutting and hauling.
Multifunctionality of the forest
In addition to what is received from the sale of wood, forest owners supplement their income with other uses to be taken into account, such as chestnuts, mushrooms, silvopasture or ecosystem services (such as the sale of carbon rights), among others.
All this income is generated within the framework of sustainable forest management. It should be emphasized that wood and other uses are a renewable resource, as forest owners proceed with the planting or natural regeneration of all cut surfaces, which contributes to guaranteeing the sustainability of the resource.
