Unusually low stocks of softwood sawlogs in Sweden
At year-end, stocks of softwood sawlogs in the Swedish forest industry, at timber terminals and by roads were 13 per cent lower than the average for the same period over the past five-year period.
According to new statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency, stocks of softwood sawlogs at this time of year have not been this low since the turn of the year 2017/2018.
The stocks of softwood sawlog, pulpwood and pulp chips combined were 8.3 million cubic metres on 31 December 2024. This was an increase of 13 per cent compared with the previous year, despite the fact that stocks of softwood sawlogs had decreased by two per cent during the same period.
The explanation is that the stocks of pulpwood have increased by 19 per cent to 4.5 million cubic metres and the pulp chip stocks have increased by as much as 44 per cent and amounted to one million cubic metres.
Both stocks of softwood pulpwood and hardwood pulpwood had increased by 20 and 15 per cent respectively at the turn of the year.
Here, the large increase in hardwood pulp stocks (+24 percent) compared to the average for the last five-year period stands out in the statistics.
New statistics on energy roundwood
In 2024, the Swedish Forest Agency has collected data on stocks of round wood for energy purposes on a trial basis. According to the agency, the response rate has been relatively good and the reported volume at the turn of the year 2024/2025 was just over 800,000 cubic meters.
The companies surveyed have been asked to state the total volume for the whole country and all storage locations.
Reported inventory volumes were at their lowest in the spring, increased during the summer, continued to increase in the autumn and increased sharply at the end of the year. Here there is a difference between the stocks of softwood sawlogs and pulpwood, which are normally at their highest in the spring, decrease during the summer and autumn and increase again at the end of the year.
The Swedish Forest Agency announces that it will continue to collect data on roundwood stocks for energy purposes in Sweden in 2025 to gain more experience on how these stocks vary in size during the year.
(The cubic metre referred to in the statistics is m3fub, but the cubic metre below bark.)
