Roundwood removals amounted to 4.1 million cubic metres in 2022, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
This represents a decrease of 4% from the 4.3 million cubic metres of removals recorded in 2021.
Despite removals decreasing, the new data shows that the total value of roundwood removals was €251 million in 2022, an 11% increase from €227 million in the previous year.
CSO
The CSO said that removals from privately owned forest was 1.8 million cubic metres in 2022, a 16% decrease from 2.1 million cubic metres in 2021.
In 2022, removals from public forests comprised 57% of the total removals volume, compared with 52% in 2021.
Coniferous roundwood accounted for over 99% of removals in 2022.
Large sawlog accounted for the highest proportion of roundwood removals volume at 38% in 2022, followed by pulpwood (27%) and small sawlog (26%).
In 2021, large sawlog contributed to 40% of roundwood removals with small sawlog at 26% and pulpwood at 25%. These three products contributed to around 91% of annual roundwood removals volume.
A study by the Council of Forest Research and Development (COFORD) found that the annual supply of Irish roundwood is predicted to increase 68% by 2035.
In 2021, COFORD projected that the annual potential roundwood supply will increase from 4.7 million cubic metres in 2021 to 7.9 million cubic metres by 2035.
The study noted that while the projected supply is “steadily increasing”, the supply-demand position shows a continued shortfall in the supply of roundwood to the sawmill sector, reaching 0.5 million cubic metres per annum by 2025.
“This shortfall is likely to be met by imported certified roundwood for processing in Ireland,” the report said.
The report brought together information from the 2021 All Ireland Roundwood Production Forecast, and demand assumptions based on inputs from the wood processing sector.