UK Forestry in serious trouble?

[Timber Man]

I actually meant the pulp mill at Sittingbourne, not Sevenoaks, thought it best corrected.

[MattyF]

In a lot of ways the south east is still recovering from the 87 blow, in timber growing terms its not that long ago . In comparison to some parts of the country there isn't a massive local milling capacity,a lot of the timber goes north.

 

The chestnut coppice market changed drastically upon the closure of the Sevenoaks pulp mill. Hundreds of people made a living from chestnut stands , better quality into fencing, rest into pulp.

 

Another problem facing coppice is winter cutting , then waiting for dry ground in the spring to extract,not many could afford to work that way.

 

Pheasants have a lot higher value to a lot of south east landowners than a few hundred tonnes of timber.

 

 

Good post, says it all to me!

[elfinwood saws]

Things are not good, we are cutting 6 ton a week to feed our biomass boilers, not bothering cutting more as we can,t sell it at roadside even though we,ve dropped our prices per ton, I think cheap kiln dried imports are hitting our hardwood sales.

Getting fed up of been poor!

[Timber Man]

Things are not good, we are cutting 6 ton a week to feed our biomass boilers, not bothering cutting more as we can,t sell it at roadside even though we,ve dropped our prices per ton, I think cheap kiln dried imports are hitting our hardwood sales.

Getting fed up of been poor!

 

There is a lot of kit coming to the market, both harvesting and firewood production, always a sign of the times.

The over inflated standing prices in recent years didn't help anyone,word travels, you get one landowner/agent that is getting x number of pounds per tonne and they all want it,but then again you can only sell it once.

Conifer and low grade hardwood have never left great margins, ..you don't come across veneer grade Sitka very often hey? Production costs, haulage and a few quid for the owner and agent if theres one involved and you can see where the money goes.

[Timber Man]

Not having a go Elfinwood, but I have just had a quick look at your f b page and noticed one post that was advertising hardwood roadside at £52. I realise you may have dropped prices since then. £52 is quite a strong price considering second grade milling hardwood isn't making much more delivered to mill.

Sometimes in hardwood parcels it pays to grade , but a strong roadside price would suggest that a strong standing price has been paid.

[chrisholmes19858]

In a lot of ways the south east is still recovering from the 87 blow, in timber growing terms its not that long ago . In comparison to some parts of the country there isn't a massive local milling capacity,a lot of the timber goes north.

The chestnut coppice market changed drastically upon the closure of the Sevenoaks pulp mill. Hundreds of people made a living from chestnut stands , better quality into fencing, rest into pulp.

Another problem facing coppice is winter cutting , then waiting for dry ground in the spring to extract,not many could afford to work that way.

Pheasants have a lot higher value to a lot of south east landowners than a few hundred tonnes of timber.

 

I agree with what you are saying, although if replanted crop would now be nearly 30 years old and of value rather than self sown re-gen birch ect that has never been managed and still only 2-3 inch

[Timber Man]

I agree with what you are saying, although if replanted crop would now be nearly 30 years old and of value rather than self sown re-gen birch ect that has never been managed and still only 2-3 inch

 

I agree, but one of the problems the south east has always had is distance from end user, particularly for low grade softwood.

Its only in very recent years where hauling softwood chip from certain areas of the country has been viable, hence a lack of thinnings carried out.

The south east was predominantly a hardwood growing area , they were grown for a reason, to supply local demand, a lot of the conifer that was taken out in 87 was first crop,...I was there harvesting and marketing it.

It became a bit of a no go area for a number of years for obvious reasons, and I doubt there ever will be major parcels come to market for a number of years.

We have cut a few Oak parcels in that area in the past 5 or 6 years, but not of the volume once common in the area.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

More bad news: Old news by now perhaps but I've just heard one of the most experienced, respected etc contractors down here has packed up. That's four harvester / forwarder outfits jacked in 2016 and I can think of another 2 close behind; in devon and cornwall alone.

 

It is terrible.

[briquette_seller]

What's the problem, lack of standing timber coming on the market, or lack of demand from the mills?

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

What's the problem, lack of standing timber coming on the market, or lack of demand from the mills?

 

Dunno; differing opinions. Some say biomass has goosed the industry, others say grants and over-stretching.

 

I say getting cub scouts to do timber contracting. As per my other thread.