The Latvian timber industry hopes to regain full FSC certification for softwood produced by Latvian State Forests (LVM) during the first quarter of 2011, a packed meeting of the London Softwood Club heard.
Sampsa Auvinen, CEO of leading Latvia sawmiller Norvik Timber Industries, also reassured the 85-strong meeting at the Charing Cross Hotel on October 7 that most major Latvian sawmills were well covered with certified timber until summer 2011.
Mr Auvinen said that Latvian FSC forest management certification will in future be divided into eight separate areas, rather than the one FSC certificate covering the whole LVM area.
Focusing on the carcassing market and comparing the current level of Latvian sawmill production, exports and price movements with the Finnish and Swedish timber industries, Mr Auvinen said Latvian sawn exports to the UK had increased by 81% to 234,500m³ (2009: 129,200m³) for the first half of 2010, driven by the currency exchange situation, while export prices had risen by 17%.
Mr Auvinen also answered concerns about reducing state forest harvesting levels in Latvia by pointing out that felling in privately-owned areas was on the increase, reflecting rises in the price of timber.
Afterwards, he told TTJ that there was considerable uncertainty about the market in 2011.
“I think it is going to be a tough year. Norvik had its group market meeting a week ago and though we’ve had a good year the next six months are going to be more difficult.”
He told TTJ that the UK would continue to be Latvia’s biggest export market for sawn softwood, but he expected the mills to spread their volumes more diversely across different markets.
London Softwood Club president Steve Jones, of Finnforest, said high member demand to attend the meeting had necessitated a move to a larger room at the venue.
