Private forest managers also take a significant part in supplying the population with firewood

By: STA Date: 2022. 10. 25. 07:40

Agriculture Minister István Nagy had an out-of-the-ordinary consultation with representatives of private forest managers on the issues of the country’s firewood supply. At the meeting, it was said that private farmers primarily focus on supplying wood to the firehouses, thereby contributing to the safe maintenance of the country’s energy supply.

(Photo: Pixabay)

The state forest farms continue to treat as a priority the service of the officially priced firewood program, which was launched by the government in order to reduce the utility burden of the population due to the energy crisis caused by the Brussels sanctions.

Almost half of the forest area in Hungary is privately owned, so the market of the timber produced there is of strategic importance

The government considers maintaining the security of the country’s energy supply to be of utmost importance, therefore, in addition to the Firewood Program announced for state forests, it pays special attention to the utilization of wood produced in private forests. The private sector brought about five hundred thousand cubic meters of firewood to the market by the end of August, and another 5-600 thousand cubic meters are expected to be produced by the end of the year – concluded András Mocz, president of the National Association of Private Forest Owners and Farmers, at the meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture. During the consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, the parties agreed on the basic objective that, in addition to serving the existing customer base, private farmers should primarily focus on deliveries to wood dealers and fire stations. In this way, they complement the measures of the government’s Firewood Program, which emphasizes direct supply to the public.

The private forestry sector is committed to supporting national policy objectives

A good example of this is that since the system change, private farmers have planted more than two hundred thousand hectares of new forest, which is one tenth of the country’s forest area. That is why the stock of wood in private forests is constantly increasing, so private forestry can take an important part in supplying the country with wood, said András Mocz. The president added that according to their experience, people in the countryside are already prepared for winter well in advance, as they have been buying firewood in large quantities since spring. Current customers in wood-heated households are typically already preparing for the next season and plan to purchase the stove one or more years in advance. The private sector is also feeling the increased demand and is taking a corresponding part in meeting the needs, said the specialist.

The Ministry of Agriculture and the professional organization identified as a common goal the reduction of the proportion of private forests without farmers and the support of professional management, so that the country can also access the currently unused resources. Further consultations were initiated on these issues, and the importance of processes already started by the government, such as the reduction of undivided joint ownership, was confirmed.

A.M