An average price of 100.48 euros for a cubic meter of spruce logs (an increase of 38 percent compared to the previous year) and an international wood shortage led to significantly more wood being harvested in domestic forests in 2021.
The logging nationwide was 18.4 million cubic meters harvested by 9.72 percent over the previous year. Harvest volumes in small farm forests (less than 200 hectares) increased the most with a plus of 17.3 percent.
Higher prices, less damaged wood
Pleasing: After a few extreme years, the amount of damaged wood, e.g. due to the bark beetle or storm damage, fell by almost a third to six million cubic meters in 2021.
However, according to the newly responsible Minister Norbert Totschnig, that is no reason to rest. The domestic forests would have to be better equipped against climate stress, for example through a better distribution of tree species, away from the spruce. “There are 350 million euros available in the forest fund for this.”
But prices did not rise everywhere in the previous year: There were even slight price declines for pulpwood and grindingwood (e.g. for industry). Incidentally, the annual wood growth of almost 30 million cubic meters has always been significantly higher than the annual wood harvest.