Home-grown sawn timber sector bucks recessionary trend

Despite rain and recession, Duchy Timber Limited has seen a really great start to 2013. It’s great to hear that we’re not the only ones!

A log delivery at the Duchy Timber sawmill in Lostwithiel, Cornwall.

The following article comes courtesy of the Timber Trades Journal (TTJ): http://www.ttjonline.com/“The UK softwood sawmilling market is one of few industry sectors to register solid growth in the last few years.” This is according to the Confederation of Forest Industries (Confor). The comment was made by Confor chairman George Webb at the organisation's industry dinner, attended by people including Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Scotland's Minister for Environment and Climate Change.

“Against a background of the current economic climate and outlook, to be increasing wood production and wood conversion, to see continued significant capital investment and see increased exports of value added products, from our sector is very promising,” he said.

Mr Webb told the audience that the UK’s home-grown sawn softwood sector had seen its market share of the overall UK sawn timber sector increase from 20% to 40% during the last five years. But he admitted there remained a “massive challenge” as to how the industry would maintain and increase its output from the resources available.“The lack of commercial conifer planting over the last two decades is very apparent and will reflect significantly on future wood availability.” He said Confor was working on an action plan to tackle this challenge.