The volume of illegal logging increased 6.7 times in 2019 compared to 2018, to 118,000 cubic meters, the amount of damage caused amounted to UAH 814.2 million.
According to the released annual report of the State Forest Resources Agency, of the total volume of illegal logging within the regional forestry and hunting agencies, the figure in Kherson regional forestry stood at 51% (60,250 cubic meters) and Kharkiv region at 35% (41,060 cubic meters).
According to the State Forest Resources Agency, industry enterprises from all types of logging prepared 15.6 million cubic meters of wood in 2019, which is 5.7% less compared to 2018. This is due to low demand in the internal market.
The total volume of round wood sales to the internal market amounted to 13 million cubic meters for a total of UAH 11.7 billion in 2019, which is UAH 1.5 billion less than in 2018.
The wood processing units received 2.2 million cubic meters of wood for processing in 2019, which is 1.1% less than in 2018.
The State Forest Resources Agency said that the area of solid loggings amounted to 40,100 hectares in 2018. Forests were recreated on an area of 42,000 hectares (new forests on area of 2,200 hectares) in 2019.
