To strengthen the prospects for family forestry and enhance member offerings, Södra introduces three new long-term collaboration agreements: forest owner agreements, management agreements, and delivery agreements. These new contracts, available from January 20, 2025, expand upon the existing management agreements to meet the diverse needs of forest owners.

Owning a forest is both rewarding and challenging, requiring active decisions and actions to address growth, resilience, economic goals, conservation, community expectations, and an unpredictable future.

“The forest owner agreement focuses on building long-term, strong partnerships. Today's forest owners have varied goals and interests for their forests, and we believe this service will appeal to many. Our ambition is to deliver the best offer and establish a secure, mutually beneficial relationship tailored to individual forest owner needs,” says Peter Karlsson, Head of Södra Skog.

The forest owner agreement, structured around an annual plan, offers valuable guidance, whether you are new to forest ownership or highly experienced.

“This is an engaging and dynamic service. New forest owners receive guidance on formulating goals for their property and a clear annual action plan. Experienced owners can use it to challenge their goals and further develop ongoing efforts. Members I've worked with have found that the agreement brings fresh energy to their forest ownership,” says Victor Ljungar, advisor at Södra.

Management and delivery agreements are more suited for larger forest owners needing operational assistance or those with their own forestry organizations.

These services enhance predictability and planning for Södra, ensuring forest owners signing these agreements are paid the highest timber prices of the year at the time of harvest.

“We see long-term demand for raw materials from family forests, as more people seek to use forests for various purposes. Long-term agreements offer security for both parties, ensuring the year's highest timber price,” says Peter Karlsson.

The forest owner agreement includes a five-year forest estate plan based on goal-setting discussions, with a detailed annual action plan guiding long-term development. Annual oversight reports and updated goal discussions capture any changes in the forest or ownership.

The management agreement primarily targets forest owners needing operational support, often for larger estates.

The delivery agreement caters to large-scale forest owners with their own forestry organizations, providing a long-term partnership for timber deliveries.