The value of wild crop harvesting and silviculture added up to R$18.4 billion in 2015. Silviculture – harvesting in managed forests – contributed with 74.3% (R$13.7 billion), whereas wild crop harvesting  – harvesting or collection of products in the woods or in native forests – participated with 25.7% (R$4.7 billion).

The contribution of logging to wild crop harvesting hit R$3.2 billion, and that of non-timber products added up to R$1.5 billion. In silviculture, the four logging products added up to R$13.4 billion, and the three non-timber products accounted for R$292.9 million.

The group of food products registered the highest value of non-timber harvesting in 2015, accounting for 69.4% of its total value, followed by waxes (14.8%), oilseeds (8.3%) and fibers (7.0%).

Although the number of rising products in wild crop harvesting was lower than in 2014 – from 15 to 13 products –, acai berry recorded the highest absolute growth (more 17.9 thousand tonnes than in 2014). Among the 21 dropping products, the highest decrease was posted by babassu nuts (-6.0 thousand tonnes). All the forest harvesting products dropped in 2015.

This is shown by the Wild Crop Harvesting and Silviculture (PEVS) 2015 survey, which investigates 38 products from wild crop harvesting and seven from silviculture. The survey brings information on the change in the production, its spatial distribution and the production of logging and non-timber products, as well as on the contribution of the segments of wild crop harvesting and silviculture to the value of the forest exploitation. The information is available for Brazil, Major Regions, states and all the 5,570 municipalities.

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The products whose production registered the highest value in 2015 were acai (R$480.6 million), native yerba mate (R$396.3 million) and Brazil nut (R$107.4 million), in terms of food products; in terms of wax, carnauba powder (R$195.6 million); in oilseeds, babassu nuts (R$107.7 million); and in fibers, piassava (R$101.3 million). Altogether, these products accounted for 91.4% of the total non-timber wild crop harvesting.

Non-timber wild crop harvesting was mostly concentrated in the North Region, highlighted by acai (93.1%) and Brazil nut (94.9%). The Northeast Region concentrated most of the production of babassu nuts (99.7%), piassava fiber (96.1%) and carnauba powder (100.0%). The South Region accounted for yerba mate (99.9%) and pine nut (85.5%).

Production of acai up 9.0%, babassu nut down 7.1%

In 2015, the production of only 13 products of wild crop harvesting changed positively, while 15 did it in 2014. Acai recorded the most significant growth in absolute numbers, changing from 198.1 thousand tonnes in 2014 to 216.1 thousand tonnes in 2015, a rise of 9.0%.

Twenty one products posted a decrease in their production. The biggest of them was in the production of babassu nuts, which changed from 83.9 thousand tonnes in 2014 to 78.0 thousand tonnes in 2015 (-7.1%).

In 2015, all the timber products from wild crop harvesting dropped: charcoal (-21.9%), firewood (-6.8%), logwood (-3.2%), pine knot (-55.3%) and the number of felled trees from native Brazilian pines (-40.0%).

The Southeast Region was the major producer of timber products from silviculture like charcoal (84.6%) and logs for pulp and paper (36.9%). The South Region accounted for 65.1% of firewood and 66.6% of logwood for other purposes. Non-timber production from silviculture was also concentrated in the Southeast and South Regions. The production of black wattle bark was only found in the South and that of eucalyptus leaves (94.7%) and resin (73.7%) in the Southeast Region.

Acai harvesting grows 9.0%

The production of acai in 2015 was of 216.1 million tonnes, an increase of 9.0% over 2014. The major producing states were Pará (58.3%) and Amazonas (30.4%). The three major producing municipalities remained Limoeiro do Ajuru (PA), Codajás (AM) and Oeiras do Pará (PA).

Yerba mate increased 1.7% in relation to 2014, reaching 338.8 thousand tonnes in 2015. This production was obtained in only four states, being Paraná the biggest producer (86.4%). Except for Fontoura Xavier (RS) and Guatambu (SC), the other municipalities that comprised the list of the 20 biggest producers were from Paraná, being São Mateus do Sul, Cruz Machado and Bituruna the major producers.

Piauí and Ceará accounted for 96.9% of the national production of carnauba powder, which added up to 20.0 thousand tonnes in 2015, an increase of 4.4% over 2014. Maranhão and Rio Grande do Norte also contributed to this production. Granja, Camocim and Santana do Acaraú were the major producers in Ceará, while Campo Maior, Piripiri and Piracuruca were the major producers in Piauí.

Maranhão accounted for 94.5% of the production of babassu nuts, which reached 78.0 thousand tonnes in 2015, 7.1% below that in 2014. All the 20 biggest producing municipalities were from Maranhão and accounted for 58.4% of the total. The main ones were Vargem Grande, Pedreiras and Poção de Pedras.

Harvested only in four states, being Bahia the major one (96.0%), piassava fibers registered a production of 44.8 thousand tonnes in 2015, a decrease of 2.1% in relation to 2014. Of the 20 biggest producer, only two municipalities were not in Bahia: Barcelos and Santa Isabel do Rio Negro, both in Amazonas. Ilhéus, Nilo Peçanha, Cairu, Ituberá and Canavieiras were the major producers in Bahia which, together with Barcelos, accounted for 90.6% of the national production.

Having produced 14.0 thousand tonnes, Acre was the major producer of Brazil nut, followed by Amazonas (14.0 thousand tonnes), Pará (8.0 thousand tonnes), Mato Grosso (2.1 thousand tonnes), Rondônia (2.0 thousand tonnes), Amapá (473 tonnes) and Roraima (155 tonnes). The production in these states reached 40.6 thousand tonnes, a rise of 8.4% over 2014. Sena Madureira, Rio Branco and Brasiléia were the major producers in Acre. Coari and Humaitá stood out in Amazonas, and Oriximiná and Óbidos, in Pará.

Production of resin grows 33.1%

The production of resin grew 33.1% in 2015. Of the 95.8 thousand tonnes produced, São Paulo accounted for 64.3%, followed by Rio Grande do Sul (18.4%), Minas Gerais (9.4%), Mato Grosso do Sul (4.9%), Paraná (2.1%) and Bahia (0.8%). The biggest producers were Santa Vitória do Palmar (RS), Itapirapuã Paulista (SP) and Buri (SP).

Rio Grande do Sul was the only producer of black wattle barks, producing 62.9 thousand tonnes in 2015, which represented a drop of 10.1% over 2014. The major producing municipalities were Brochier, Santa Maria do Herval and Montenegro.

In 2015, the production of eucalyptus leaves was obtained from only 16 municipalities. The total production of 36.5 thousand tonnes was 48.2% above that of 2014. The major producers were São João do Paraíso (MG), Ninheira (MG), and Ubirajara (SP).

Harvesting of charcoal falls 21.9%

In 2015, the production of charcoal from forestry was of 797.0 thousand tonnes, representing a decrease of 21.9% over the previous year. The major producing states were Maranhão (229.3 thousand tonnes), Piauí (154.9 thousand tonnes), Bahia (103.0 thousand tonnes), Mato Grosso do Sul (100.1 thousand tonnes) and Tocantins (70.2 thousand tonnes). The major municipal producers were Grajaú (MA), Jerumenha (PI), Baianópolis (BA) and Regeneração (PI).

Following a trend over the last years, the production of firewood from forestry dropped 6.8% in 2015 in relation to 2014. Of the total production of 26.9 million m³, from which Bahia accounted for 19.4%, followed by Ceará (12.0%), Maranhão (8.6%), Pará (8.1%) and Piauí (7.4%), which, together, produced 55.6% of the national overall. In Bahia, the biggest municipal production was registered in Xique-Xique; in Ceará, in Santa Quitéria; in Maranhão, in Loreto; in Pará, in Baião; and in Pernambuco, in Petrolina.

In 2015, the production of wood from native forests was of 12.3 million m³, representing a decrease of 3.2% over 2014. The major producers were the states of Pará (33.7%), Mato Grosso (24.9%), Rondônia (15.2%), Amazonas (6.0%) and Amapá (5.5%). The major producing municipalities were Portel (PA), Porto Velho (RO) and Aripuanã (MT).

Production of charcoal from silviculture falls 13.3%

The production of charcoal from silviculture in 2015 was 13.3% below that obtained in 2014. The dropping demand from part of the industry, especially from the steel industry, contributed to the decreasing production, which hit 5,390,315 tonnes.

As the major producer, Minas Gerais accounted for 82.8%, followed by Maranhão (9.8%) and Bahia (2.1%). Together, they accounted for 94.7% of the national output.  Of this total, 98.8% came from grown eucalyptus. Mato Grosso do Sul was the major producer of charcoal from pinus and Rio Grande do Sul was the state that mostly used other forest species to produce charcoal.

Of the 20 major producing municipalities, except for two in Maranhão (Bom Jardim and Açailândia) and one in Mato Grosso do Sul (Ribas do Rio Pardo), all of them were located in Minas Gerais, highlighting Itamarandiba and João Pinheiro.

The total production of firewood in 2015 was of 55.0 million m³, a decrease of 2.1% in relation to 2014. Having produced 27.6% of the national total, Paraná was the major producing state, followed by Rio Grande do Sul (22.5%), Santa Catarina (15.0%), Minas Gerais (10.9%) and São Paulo (10.8%). Telêmaco Borba and Jacarezinho (both from PR); Butiá (RS); Rio Verde (GO); and Socorro (SP) stood out in the ranking of the biggest municipal producers.

Logs for pulp and paper was the only timber product from silviculture to record a positive change (6.7%) when comparing the production in 2015 with that in the previous year. The overall production was of 76.8 million m³, being São Paulo the major producing state (15.6 million m³), followed by Bahia (11.1 million m³), Paraná (11.1 million m³), Mato Grosso do Sul (9.4 million m³) and Minas Gerais (8.2 million m³). Together, they accounted for 72.1% of the national output. 

About 83.0% of timber produced came from grown eucalyptus. The states where the production of timber from pinus was more significant were Paraná, which accounted for 72.3% of the production, and Santa Catarina, responsible for 80.9% of the overall production in this state. The major municipalities were Três Lagoas, Brasilândia and Ribas do Rio Pardo (all of them in MS); Telêmaco Borba (PR); and Ulianópolis (PA).

Of the total logwood for other purposes produced in Brazil, 51.5% were extracted from grown eucalyptus and 45.8% from forests with grown pinus. The production in 2015 was of 47.2 million m³, representing a decrease of 9.1% over 2014. The South Region was the main producer, followed by the Southeast, Central-West, North and Northeast.

The major producing states were Paraná (16.4 million m³), Santa Catarina (8.5 million m³), São Paulo (6.9 million m³), Rio Grande do Sul (6.4 million m³) and Minas Gerais (4.7 million m³). The leaders in the ranking of the major municipal producers were General Carneiro, Cerro Azul, Jaguariaíva and Cruz Machado (all of them in PR); Taquari (RS) and Itatinga (SP).

Silviculture area reaches 9.9 million hectares in 2015

The area occupied with silviculture in 2015 was of 9.9 million hectares (ha), from which 74.9% were planted with eucalyptus, 20.8% with pinus and 4.3% with other species.

The South Region held the largest planted area with 3.8 million ha, being 1.7 million ha with eucalyptus, 1.9 million ha with pinus and 226.7 thousand ha with other species. Paraná (1.6 million ha) held the largest area, followed by Rio Grande do Sul (1.2 million ha) and Santa Catarina (991 thousand ha).

The five municipalities holding the largest areas with planted forest were Três Lagoas (MS), Ribas do Rio Pardo (MS), Itaubal (AP), Telêmaco Borba (PR) and João Pinheiro (MG).