2021, a record year for private forest producers in Bas-Saint-Laurent


The financial contribution of private forest producers in the Bas-Saint-Laurent within the industry is estimated at more than $91 million in 2021 compared to just over $67 million in 2020.

The union presented its 2021 results at a press conference Tuesday morning in Rimouski.

Charles Edmond Landry and Maurice Veilleux hold a press conference.

The Bas-Saint-Laurent forest producers union presented the 2021 results Tuesday morning during a press conference in Rimouski.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Jean-Luc Blanchet

The determining factors for the increase in the volume of wood put on the market are the increase in the price of sawn wood by $10 per solid cubic meter as well as intensive harvesting in the sectors invaded by the spruce budworm, explains the director general of the SPFBSL, Charles Edmond Landry.

At 1,313,414 solid cubic meters, that’s a good volume of lumber. We happen to have marketed about 20% of the production of wood from private forests in all of Quebec. It’s not nothinghe comments.

a man in a suit.

Charles Edmond Landry is the General Manager of the Syndicat des Producteurs Forestiers du Bas-Saint-Laurent.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Jean-Luc Blanchet

Resumption of activities

The general manager of the union also says that the biomass markets should recover as early as 2022.

New markets are to be seen in the region thanks in particular to the GDS plants in Lac-au-Saumon and Lebel Énergie in Cacouna. Forest producers expect to send large volumes of lower quality wood to companies to make pellets. We were challenged to deliver a volume of approximately 10,000 tons of by-products [à l’entreprise GDS]. […] Then there, with Groupe Lebel, it was a bigger volume that we had discussed. This is a volume of about 30,000 tonssays Charles Edmond Landry.

spruce budworm

In 2021, the Society for the Protection of Forests against Insects and Diseases (SOPFIM) watered only a quarter of the area of ​​1.62 million hectares of Bas-Saint-Laurent forests affected by the budworm, indicates the union. . However, some areas were not sprayed because the defoliation was classified as light.

the Syndicate of Forest Producers of Bas-Saint-Laurent affirms that only 50% of the budget allocated to the watering of private woodlots under management in Bas-Saint-Laurent by SOPFIM was used because of favorable climatic conditions for the watering of areas of four hectares or more. Since 2018, Quebec has funded 100% of the watering of private woodlots under development.

A very close up of a budworm caterpillar on a spruce branch.

The area of ​​forest affected in the region has increased by 23% in recent years (archives).

Photo: Natural Resources Canada

The union confirms that the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks should announce financial assistance to meet forest management needs. Last December, the Syndicate of Forest Producers of Bas-Saint-Laurent called for emergency assistance of $2 million for the maintenance of forests affected by the spruce budworm. In addition to the emergency assistance requested, elected officials and producers are asking Quebec to increase the amounts allocated to silvicultural work — that is, work to recover and restore wood to production — by $4.7 million per year.

Outlook 2022

The general manager of the Syndicate of Forest Producers of Bas-Saint-LaurentCharles Edmond Landry, will try over the next two years of his mandate to convince private forest producers in the Bas-Saint-Laurent to obtain Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, which puts forward a national standard of forest management.

According to Mr. Landry, the factories have started to demand it. It specifies that at present only 25% of the private forest has obtained certification Forest Stewardship Council. The goal [d’ici deux ans] is to have at least 50% of the forest that is certified, as some forest areas are not ready to be harvestedmentions the director general of the SPFBSL.



Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca

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