We have written some articles lately about the Swedish timber prices. The forest industry has made historical profits but very little of that profit has ended up in the forest owner’s pockets. Now, some forest owners have had enough and started what they call a “wood rebellion”.
Swedish forest owners have had enough
The initiative was taken after articles and threads at the sister-site/forum Skogsforum.se where the subject has been discussed for a long time. The initiator launched a home page and started a new thread at Skogsforum to find out how big the interest is. The short-term aim is to see if it´s possible to get enough members to the group that it makes sense to move on in a more organized way that can affect the current situation.
The long-term aim is to create an organization that can find alternative ways to sell timber instead of selling to the traditional channels such as the forest owner’s associations. By this, the group hopes to break the cartel-like pricing that has given Sweden Europe’s lowest timber prices.
For the moment, some 200 forest owners, which represents 22 000 hectares of forest land, have signed up for the project.
Södra hits a profit record
In the meantime, the south Swedish forest owner’s association Södra reports a record profit for 2021. Approximately half the profit, 2,2 billion SEK, will be distributed to the 52 000 members, which is also a record. Another thing that is new is that the distribution is for timber deliveries done in both 2020 and 2021.
One can´t help wondering if this generosity has anything to do with the timber price discussions lately?
Interesting situation
Interestingly, a group of Swedish forest owners tries to do what the forest owner’s association should normally have done. The original idea of the forest owner’s association was to help forest owners to more profitable forestry. To achieve that, Södra started their industry. An industry that now has grown so big that Södra, according to many, is more of a forest industry than a forest owner’s association.
This can probably be discussed. The fact that forest owners “own” their industry may be good as they then, theoretically, can decide about the timber prices. With that in mind: Why does Sweden have Europe’s lowest timber prices? What is most important, the forest owners or the industries profit?
Maybe it´s about time the Swedish forest owners find new ways to organize themselves?
