Forest owners and pulp mills have called for an increase in the area of eucalyptus and other fast-growing tree species in abandoned bushland areas to reduce the risk of fire and develop the sector. “The area should be increased and not reduced,” Luís Damas, president of the National Federation of Forest Owners Associations (FNAPF), told the Lusa news agency, in addition to defending the Paper Industry Association – Celpa.
According to the FNAPF, limitations on planting or replanting eucalyptus have contributed to the abandonment of former stands after logging. “This prohibition caused disinterest and abandonment on the part of many owners, that he stopped taking care of his“, explained the leader, adding that these “are forest areas without production where they have maintenance costs” and, due to lack of cleaning because they are not productive areas, that is where the fires come in.
“Guardians of the forest”, as they are the first to want to protect their business, forest owners want to transform forests into forests, that these areas have professional management, minimizing the risk of fire. “We have many areas that are scrublands and these days the fires are taking them because they have no management,” justified the FNAPF.
In the same perspective, the general director of the Association of Paper Industries – Celpa, Francisco Gomes da Silva, reminded Lusa that “almost half of the burned area corresponds to scrub and grassland, followed by maritime pine and only after eucalyptus.” , concluding that the fires occur mainly in areas of “generalized lack of forestry practices”. For FNAPF, the proposal could be a solution to solve the problems of the smallholding.
“I can have two hectares and manage them well, but if my neighbors don’t do anything about it, the fire is coming and I with two hectares cannot safeguard them“, warned Luis Damas.
The two associations also warned that the restrictions on the increase in the area of eucalyptus, one of the species where there is the greatest investment due to its rapid growth, has caused “economic damage” to the country.
First, they restrict production and export potential and contribute to increased wood imports (25% of wood processed by industries), product shortages and price increases. “The increase in national production does not materialize just because there is a clear ‘persecution’ of this species,” said the FNAPF.
To increase the surface, the association defended the existence of “cleaning areas“, which are not yet regulated, exemplifying that, in a 100-hectare project, 50 would be fast-growing species and the rest native species.
The eucalyptus area went from 810,000 hectares in 2010 to 845,000 hectares in 2015, according to the latest data, of which around 300,000 are certified.
However, the associations estimate that this surface has been decreasing since 2017, as a consequence of the fires of 2017 and 2018 and the restrictions imposed. Eucalyptus represents 26% of the Portuguese forest.
The productive sector has a production potential of 340 million euros/year in value of eucalyptus wood and employs 100,000 workers.
The pulp and paper industry produces 1.9 million tons of paper and cardboard per year, has around 4,500 jobs and a turnover of 2,900 million euros, of which 2,300 million euros export half of its production. Portugal is the third European producer of cellulose and the second of paper.
The country is one of the five main producers of the eucalyptus species in the world”Eucalyptus globulus”where the best fiber for paper manufacturing is extracted, along with Spain, Australia, Chile and Uruguay, which makes the pulp industry competitive worldwide and constitutes a great opportunity for the growth of the entire sector.
Source: Observadora
