One of South Africa’s long-established sawmills, Stevens Lumber Mills, has announced a 90-day temporary layoff period due to increasing power outages (load shedding) and the tight supply of logs, according to reporting by Moneyweb. SML is located in Limpopo, the northmost province in South Africa.
News in international markets
Russian Logging Volumes Declined 13.5% Year-Over-Year in 2022
According to a report emanating from TASS, a Russian state-owned news agency, citing data sourced from Roslesinforge, the forest accounting department of Federal Forestry Agency: “Last year, a total of 194.6 million cubic meters were harvested in Russia, which is 13.5% less than in 2021.”
Brazilian Exports of Wood-Based Products Declined Month-Over-Month and Year-Over-Year in January
According to the International Tropical Timber Organization, in January Brazilian exports of wood-based products (except pulp and paper) declined 32.0% in value compared to January 2022, falling from US$393.9 million in January 2022 to US$267.3 million in January 2023.
India’s Greenpanel Industries Orders Its Third DIEFFENBACHER MDF Plant
Greenpanel Industries, India’s largest MDF manufacturer, recently announced it has ordered its third MDF plant from DIEFFENBACHER. The new thin-board line will be added in Routhusuramala, Andhra Pradesh.
Södra to Explore Building a Replacement Sawmill in Östergötland, Sweden
Södra announced on Thursday that is undertaking a preliminary project to investigate the potential of building a new large-scale sawmill in Kinda in Östergötland Municipality, Sweden, to replace an existing facility.
Cyclone Forces Pan Pac Forest Products to Close Its Whirinaki, New Zealand, Pulp Mill Until Further Notice
In response to the massive flooding caused by Cyclone Gabrielle, Pan Pac Forest Products announced on its website that, following assessment of the storm damage, its Whirinaki facility site will be closed until further notice. The cyclone ravaged New Zealand starting on February 12th.
Canada Fails to Respond to Japan’s Request That It Rejoin the International Tropical Timber Organization
According to reporting by The Canadian Press, an access-to-information request shows that in July 2022, Japan asked the Canadian federal government to rejoin the International Tropical Timber Organization. To date, the current government has failed to respond to the months-old invitation from Japan.
Some of New Zealand’s Forestry Sector Will Not Recover From Damage Caused by Cyclone Gabrielle
On February 12th, Cyclone Gabrielle cut a large path of destruction through New Zealand’s Tairāwhiti, Hawkes Bay, Coromandel, and Northland regions. The region is home to almost 30% of the country’s forestry plantations, according to local reporting by “Stuff Limited.”
Lumin to Invest $136 Million to Build Its Third Industrial Plant in Uruguay
Lumin, a leading timberland and forest products company, announced on Friday that it will be investing approximately $136 million (USD) to build its third industrial plant in Uruguay. The investment is expected to create more than 300 jobs and appreciably increase the country’s sustainable plywood production.
US Wood Pellet Exports Increased Month-Over-Month and Year-Over-Year in December
According to data released on Tuesday by United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, the US exported 917,175.4 metric tons of wood pellets in December. This is above November’s shipment of 694,199.7 metric tons, as well as the 798,883.6 metric tons exported in December 2021.