Less wood felled in Swiss forests in 2024

Swiss forests have seen less chopping in the last two years. Keystone-SDA

Following a drop already in 2023, the harvest volume again declined last year, as the importance of wood chips for energy production has increased.

According to figures relseased by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on Wednesday, 4.8 million cubic metres of wood were felled in the country in 2024, around 0.1 million cubic metres or 2% less than in the previous year. The volumes of trunk wood and logs for energy production declined.

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In contrast, the quantities of industrial wood and wood chips for energy production increased. Such energy wood now accounts for 30% of the total harvest, and its share has doubled over the past two decades, the FSO says.

The FSO notes that the trend towards lower demand and therefore lower timber prices also played a role in the lower harvest volume of logs, sawn timber and piece wood.

Of the wood harvested in 2024, some 3.2 million cubic metres came from coniferous trees and 1.6 million cubic metres from deciduous trees.

According to the FSO, the financial situation of forestry operations is deteriorating. A total of 638 were active in the country in 2024. Together, they logged an income of CHF622 million ($776 million) and expenditure of CHF651 million. Their deficit thus grew from CHF20 million in 2023 to CHF29million last year.

Forestry operations on the Swiss Central Plateau, in the Alps and on the southern side of the Alps recorded losses, while those in the foothills of the Alps made profits. In the Jura region they broke even, the FSO noted.

Translated from German by DeepL/dos

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