The Irish roundwood harvest was up around 9% last year, according to a preliminary report on the Republic of Ireland harvest and wood product trade data.
Forest industry research group COFORD said the overall roundwood harvest for 2010 was 2.7 million m³.
Demand was strong across all sectors, from biomass to wood-based panels and sawn timber. In value terms, exports of wood products grew 18% to €286m. By volume, panels rose by 14% and sawn timber by 10%.
Harvest levels in the private sector were more than three times the level in 2009, which the report said reflected very strong stumpage prices. The private sector produced 450,000m³ compared with Coillte‘s 2.26 million m³.
A recent COFORD report into roundwood supply in Ireland said capacity would double in the next 17 years and almost all the increase was due from privately-owned forests.
