EU Imported firewood into the UK

[Elmsdown Forestry]

So what are you saying,..you are not getting a high enough rate for doing the job,? If not why not?

 

We work with the prices available but the problem we have is buyers think that machines can produce more so rates don't need to rise with fuel etc and expect a high standard of job. I'm happy with the rates I work for but was making a point.

[ash_smith123]

We have 2 kilns and also import what we can't produce. It doesn't sit very well with me either. I would much rather produce it myself and you do make far more money producing it yourself but firewood is our income. If I don't sell it I don't eat and the mortgage doesn't get paid so if I can't keep up with the production I have at the moment we've got to import to bridge the gap to make money.

We are fitting another heater that should half drying time/double production so we are looking to employ someone next year and produce 90% ourselves.

[Timber Man]

We work with the prices available but the problem we have is buyers think that machines can produce more so rates don't need to rise with fuel etc and expect a high standard of job. I'm happy with the rates I work for but was making a point.

 

I think its more a case of buyers being in a more competitive market that has forced standing prices up.

Tbh if the fuelwood/ biomass market hadn't increased the wood would not get cut.Since the demise of hardwood pulp mills the market was virtually dormant until grant aid became available for bring certain areas back into management,...once the demand for fuelwoods increased a lot of the grant aid was removed.

One or two marketing companies , one in particular in the south east put a false bottom in the market by paying ridiculous standing prices,..but then word gets out.

[Alycidon]

What you are saying is right but it's interesting what you said about the cord price having to come down.

Why does the cord price have to come down? Why don't the retail prices go up?

Harvesting companies have costs like everyone and all costs are increasing so there's no reason why the cordwood should stay the same price, also supply the demand comes to mind! Like anything if the wholesale price goes up the retailer puts the retail price up. Doesn't seem to happen so much in firewood, everyone just moans about cord price but keeps there prices the same

 

 

I would agree prices in the market do need to rise but there are many busy idiots out there giving the product away, usually supported by timber they grow themselves or have acquired through Arb work. I am £25 a cube dearer than anyone around here, cant do it for less. Recently when talking to a competitor he was crying about being busy as hell but not making any money, I advised him to increase his price to my levels of he wants a reasonable return. Remember it costs £1.50 a mile to run a landrover with delivery trailer, plus your time. A delivery 10 miles away is a 90 minute job, I can only get three stacked crates onto my IFW.

 

With Ash die back out of control over the next few years every farmers son with a saw will ( or is already) be trying to be a firewood merchant for beer money.

 

I had a guy in my showroom today, he has been paying £60 for what he thinks is a cube of hardwood, ( I suspect its an 800/800/900 builders bag so about .7 cube), he was very angry that his supplier had the gall to increase the price to £70. When I put to him the amount of work involved in creating teh logs he simply said 'I dont care'. People need to be prepared to loose market share if necessary.

 

A

[forestry]

As a fairly large importer of KDF into the UK from the EU and further afield it never ceases to amaze me how many posters on here say, "importing firewood is wrong", "it doesn't sit well with me", "it should be stopped" etc when the said same people do not give a damn when buying food, clothes, machinery, electrical goods etc etc etc. Do the same said people only buy British produced goods ?

At the end of the day, firewood is a commodity that will be traded the same as any other commodity and as we now live in a global market this will be the norm.

Where I do agree with them is where their concerns are regarding plant health, as reponsible importers we are obliged by law to give notice to FC Plant Health on every single container being imported from the EU and the rest of the world, something many importers are currently ignoring and puting the health of our own forests at risk.

Imported firewood need not be the devil reincarnated

[Coximus]

When everyone moans about cost and prices being too low - does anyone ever consider that for alot of people firewood is already the most expensive way to heat their house and thus a luxury compared to oil or gas?

 

Its a fuel commodity - and its got to compete with other fuels - currently if I buy in (which I dont as I have woodland) the wood is 2.4x the price per BTU of coal, and several x oil.

That will always restrict the market to those with little choice, or disposable income.

 

When fuel prices rise again, then perhaps wood will shift in more volume again.

[Woodworks]

 

Its a fuel commodity - and its got to compete with other fuels - currently if I buy in (which I dont as I have woodland) the wood is 2.4x the price per BTU of coal, and several x oil.

 

Don't know accurate it is but this table does not agree with your figures Energy Cost Comparison | Nottingham Energy Partnership

[gdh]

When everyone moans about cost and prices being too low - does anyone ever consider that for alot of people firewood is already the most expensive way to heat their house and thus a luxury compared to oil or gas?

 

Its a fuel commodity - and its got to compete with other fuels - currently if I buy in (which I dont as I have woodland) the wood is 2.4x the price per BTU of coal, and several x oil.

That will always restrict the market to those with little choice, or disposable income.

 

When fuel prices rise again, then perhaps wood will shift in more volume again.

 

Agreed. A lot of our customers rely on wood for heat, if we put our prices up to say £80 a cube they wouldn't be able to afford it anymore. The firewood market varies alot between a heat source and a luxury in other areas.

 

Having said that, with rising oil prices and more efficient fires I expect that fuel costs are getting close to even. Chip and oil/gas are similar already.

[Stihllymok]

As a fairly large importer of KDF into the UK from the EU and further afield it never ceases to amaze me how many posters on here say, "importing firewood is wrong", "it doesn't sit well with me", "it should be stopped" etc when the said same people do not give a damn when buying food, clothes, machinery, electrical goods etc etc etc. Do the same said people only buy British produced goods ?

At the end of the day, firewood is a commodity that will be traded the same as any other commodity and as we now live in a global market this will be the norm.

Where I do agree with them is where their concerns are regarding plant health, as reponsible importers we are obliged by law to give notice to FC Plant Health on every single container being imported from the EU and the rest of the world, something many importers are currently ignoring and puting the health of our own forests at risk.

Imported firewood need not be the devil reincarnated

 

Have to say that's a very Level headed take on the subject.

Coming from other industries where everything's imported I'd just view it as normal competition and that's just business, to say its morally wrong blah blah is just nonsense. I hate some of my competition in business but i accept the fact thats just part of being in business! AND yes before you shout at me I don't use imported and should never need to and the stuff i did try burnt weird and left some odd ash behind..

 

lets see how things pan out Post Brexit eh? if the pound Strengthens and trade incentives with Eastern EU are set up then be prepared for a lot more imports.

Conversly...you may find that the log game comes back on song again!

[forestry]

Have to say that's a very Level headed take on the subject.

Coming from other industries where everything's imported I'd just view it as normal competition and that's just business, to say its morally wrong blah blah is just nonsense. I hate some of my competition in business but i accept the fact thats just part of being in business! AND yes before you shout at me I don't use imported and should never need to and the stuff i did try burnt weird and left some odd ash behind..

 

lets see how things pan out Post Brexit eh? if the pound Strengthens and trade incentives with Eastern EU are set up then be prepared for a lot more imports.

Conversly...you may find that the log game comes back on song again!

 

Interestingly our wholesale prices increased approximately 20% post brexit due to euro rate whilst our sales increased by about the same margin 😀