The European softwood sector has broken sales records two years running.
That was the headline news from the European Softwood Conference in Rome last week.
Delegates heard that production and consumption both hit record levels in 2004 at 268 million m3 and 258 million m3 respectively. And those figures are expected to rise a further 2% and 1.1% this year.
After this buoyant period, the market in 2006 was forcast to be more difficult. Although, longer term, delegates said growth should continue. Charles Hopping, chairman of Hoppings Softwood Products, certainly felt that would be the case in the UK.
“The growing influence of modern methods of construction and the opportunities presented by the London Olympics in 2012 should ensure the upward trend is resumed in 2007.”
TTF president John Tong, who was also at the conference, said that another issue that was debated was generic timber marketing.
“The lack of promotion of timber products was highlighted and disappointment at the industry’s ability to fund its own development was expressed by all.”
