Sales of the timber in the highest quality class in Poland

The paper analyses the amount of cut, the assortment and species structure of the current domestic market for timber of the highest quality classes (wood veneer, plywood, telecommunication poles) in Poland in years 2005−2009. Oak and beech are the main source of material for the production of veneer in Poland. Sales of oak veneer in 2005−2009 amounted to 17,502.9 m3 (35.8% of the total sales of assortment WA1). Sales of beech veneer in 2005−2009 amounted to 11,233.5 m3 (23.0% of total sales). Among the plywood assortments harvested in Poland in 2005−2009, birch was harvested and sold in the largest quantities – 503,870.0 m3 (39.1% of total harvest) and 590,822.4 m3 (43.8% of total sales). Of all the regional directorates of the State Forests, the Krosno RDSF showed in 2005−2009 the largest harvest of WA1 assortments – 9734.0 m3 (21.4% of the total harvest), and sale – 9611.0 m3 (19.7% of total sales). Because of the large beech and sycamore timber resources, forests in the Krosno RDSF are a main current and potential source of veneer assortments. Because of the large amounts of harvested and sold oak, beech, pine, birch and alder veneer the Białystok, Olsztyn, Szczecinek and Szczecin RDSFs play the dominant role on the Polish timber market. The leading role in terms of plywood sales in the period under review was taken by RDSFs Olsztyn – 24.9%, Białystok – 26.2%, Szczecinek – 13.1% and Szczecin – 11.6%. These RDSFs taken together supplied to the market 75.8% of plywood, being the main material base for the plywood industry. The dominant role of these RDSFs derives from the fact that forests under their administration are rich in birch, alder and pine. Spruce as a plywood material is insufficiently used by the plywood industry (harvest – 33,269.9 m3, sale – 579.5 m3)