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Stumpage earnings 2.8 billion euros in 2022

News 2.6.2023

Forest owners’ stumpage earnings reached €2.8 billion in 2022, the highest ever in euro terms. However, due to the fall in the value of money, forest owners’ real income fell by 12% from the previous year and by 8% from the five-year average, according to statistics from Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) on stumpage income (deflation: wholesale price index, 1949=100).

Private non-industrial forest owners, communities and companies not primarily engaged in timber production received most of the stumpage income, i.e. EUR 2,435 million. About 90% of this went to actual private forest owners. The forest industry and state forests generated a total of €414 million. The share of logs remained at 70%, and spruce was the main tree species, with 46% of the income.

Photo: Pixabay

Standing sale prices increased, removals decreased

Earnings increased by EUR 168 million from the previous year, and at nominal prices, the increase was 6%. Revenue was boosted by higher standing sale prices for all timber species, as removals of logs fell by a couple of percentage points and pulpwood by four. The removals of energy wood increased by 6%, but they only accounted for around 5% of earnings.

- Stumpage revenues would have been significantly higher without the 112-day strike at UPM early in the year. This restrained demand for domestic timber, despite the boom in the forest industry and the stagnation of Russian timber imports, says Luke researcher Esa Uotila.

Savonia, Central Finland and North Karelia at the top of the earnings table

By region, the highest income was received from North Savonia (€304 million), South Savonia (€291 million), and North Karelia and Central Finland (€268 million). In real terms, income decreased in all regions, but most in North Ostrobothnia (-20%).

Stumpage earnings as part of the national accounts

Gross stumpage earnings are calculated by multiplying the felling volume by standing sales prices. In addition to earnings from selling wood, the value of wood sourced for private use by forest owners is also counted as earnings. The gross stumpage earnings statistics are used, for example, in calculations for the national accounts and as background information for decision-making in the forest sector. Luke’s statistics database (luke.fi/en/statistis) includes statistics on stumpage earnings since 2002. Earnings are presented in accordance with the location in which they are generated.

 

Note: the three numerical values of the news updated on 6.2.2024.