The Scottish National Party has called on the government to protect the future of Scotland’s £800m a year forestry industry by addressing rural transport improvements, as well as by encouraging biomass to produce electricity and use of wood as a building material.
The nationalists also demanded action on falling timber prices and cheap imports.
Acknowledging that forestry and primary wood processing account for 10,000 jobs in Scotland, deputy environment and rural affairs minister Allan Wilson stated that the Scottish Forest Industries Cluster had been established to assist product and market innovation.
The issue of transporting timber was “difficult” and would be the focus of a meeting between the minister, industry and council representatives in January, he added.
