Irish sawmills enjoyed a bumper year during 2000, processing a record-breaking 1.8 million m³ of timber, according to the annual review of the Irish Timber Council.
The surge in production – up 14% on the levels achieved in 1999 and 38% on those for 1997 – is expected to be bettered this year with the forecast that Irish mills will process two million m³.
Total turnover for the mills, which produce pallets, stakes, fencing and flooring and sell residues to panel board mills, was I£154m compared with I£137m in 1999.
The increasing output is being made possible on the back of large investment over recent years, says the ITC report published on May 18. By the end of 2001 the ITC mills north and south of the border – which process 90% of all sawlog timber produced in Ireland – will have completed a three-year investment programme amounting to I£68.5m.
Michael Lynn, ITC chairman, said: ‘Irish sawmills have proved that they have the capacity to process the increased volumes of timber that will come on the market in the next 5-10 years.’
He said ITC mills were now more competitive than at any period in their history.
ITC director Donal Magner said that the high level of performance by the mills during 2000 meant that timber harvesting was now a major wealth- creating industry for Ireland worth I£350m.
He added: ‘Our 13 mills provide employment for 2,300 people.
