The value of silviculture production (exploitation of planted forests) and wild-crop harvesting (exploitation of native vegetable resources) amounted R$ 13.6 billion in 2009. The percentage participation of silviculture in the value of forest production decreased from 69.3% to 66.4% between 2008 and 2009, amounting R$ 9.0 billion, whereas the participation of wild-crop harvesting increased from 30.7% to 33.6%. The value of wild-crop harvesting amounted R$ 4.6 billion last year, R$ 3.9 billion of which came from logging and R$ 685.4 million from non-wood production.

The production of logs in wild-crop harvesting (15,248,187 m3) was 7.9% larger than that of 2008. In the segment of planted or cultivated forests, production (106,911,408 m3) had an increase of 5.6%, result affected principally by wood production for paper and cellulose, which increased 12,3%. These and other pieces of information are part of the survey Harvesting of Forest Products and Silviculture Production 2009 (PEVS).

Non-wood products that stood out are açaí nuts (R$ 160,5 million), babassu nuts (R$ 121,3 million), piassava fibers (R$ 110,3 million), native yerba mate (R$ 86,6 million), carnauba wax powder (R$ 79,4 million) and Brazil nuts (R$ 52,3 million). As a group, they amounted 89.1% of total production value of non-wood harvesting.

In the segment silviculture, resin production (oleoresin of Pinus and other forest species) amounted 56.565 tons and the production of acacia bark, 109,010 tons. The harvesting of Eucalyptus leaves, used to produce essential oil (Eucalyptus oil), amounted 64,077 tons, with the Southeast region accounting for 86.8% of total; Central West for 9.4%; and the South for 3.8%.

Table 1 at the end of the text shows all the products investigated by PEVS and the production variation between 2008 and 2009.

Between 2008 and 2009, coal and firewood production decreased and logging increased

In 2009, a total 82,850,417 m³ of firewood were produced, 1.5% less than in 2008, and 5,018,271 tons of charcoal, a production 19.0% smaller than that of 2008. Logging increased from 115,389,259 to 122,159,595 tons between 2008 and 2009.

Charcoal production from silviculture, which had been increasing since 2002, presented a fall (15.0%), with an output of 3,378,492 tons. Charcoal from wild-crop harvesting presented a drop of 26.2% between 2008 and 2009, having its output amounted 1,639,779 tons.

In 2009, the main producers of charcoal from cultivated forests were Minas Gerais (80.4% of national product), Maranhão (6.7%), Bahia (5.4%), São Paulo (2.0%) and Mato Grosso do Sul (1.6%). Among municipalities, the major producer was Lassance-MG (9.0%). The main producers of charcoal obtained from wild-crop harvesting were Maranhão (28.9% of national product), Mato Grosso do Sul (17.7%), Minas Gerais (17.2%), Bahia (8.7%) and Goiás (8.1%). The municipality with the largest production was Barra da Corda-MA (4.2%).

Silviculture produced 41,410,850 m³ of firewood, and wild-crop harvesting, 41,439,567 m³ of firewood in 2009. The main producers of silviculture firewood were Rio Grande do Sul (32.5%); Paraná (19.3%); São Paulo (15.5%); Santa Catarina (14.8%) and Minas Gerais (9.0%). The main producers of wild-crop harvesting firewood were Bahia (23.8%); Ceará (10.6%); Pará (8.4%); Maranhão (6.6%) and Amazonas (6.0%). Among municipalities, the main producer of silviculture firewood was Santa Cruz do Sul-RS (767,826 m³), and the highlight in wild-crop harvesting firewood was Xique-Xique-BA (675,627 m³).

Native forest logging grows 7.9%

The national production of logs amounted 122.159.595 m³, with 87.5% coming from cultivated forest and 12.5% harvested in native vegetation. The output of native forest logging (15,248,187 m³) was 7.9% greater than that of 2008. Product from planted or cultivated forests was also larger than that of the previous year (5.6%) and amounted 106,911,408 m³.

In silviculture, wood production for paper and cellulose amounted 65,345,680 m³, and for other purposes (civil construction, furniture industry, shipbuilding, etc.), 41,565,728 m³. Concerning the previous year, wood production for paper and cellulose increased 12.3%. For other purposes, it had a decline of 3.5%.

Among major producers of wood from native forest logging are Pará, with an output of 5,975,969 m³ (39.2% of the total harvested in the country), Mato Grosso, with 3,920,627 m³ (25.7%); Rondônia, with 1,358,072 m³ (8.9%); Bahia, with 1,084,227 m³ (7.1%) and Amazonas, with 1,055,928 m³ (7.8%). The main municipal producer is Juara-MT, with 688,923 m³ (4.5% of national production).

In the logging from planted forests, for production of paper and cellulose, the main producers in 2009 were Bahia, with 14,674,553 m³, what represents 22.4% of the 65,345,680 m³ produced in the country; São Paulo, with 13,665,914 m³ (20.9%); Paraná, with 11,083,552 m³ (16.9%); Santa Catarina, with 7,427,261 m³ (11.4%); Espírito Santo, with 6,062,232 m³ (9.3%) and Minas Gerais, with 5,371,797 m³ (8.2%). The main municipal producer was Telêmaco Borba-PR, with 3,508,079 m³.

Highlights in wood production for other purposes were Paraná, with 12,944,492 m³ (31.1% of the 41,565,728 m³ produced in the country); São Paulo, with 8,246,643 m³ (20.3%); Santa Catarina, with 8,096,827 m³ (19.5%); and Rio Grande do Sul, with 4,756,517 m³ (11.4%). Concerning municipalities, the highlight was Itapetininga-SP, with 1,612,560 m³ (3.9% of the national total).

Production of açaí decreased (4.1%)

The national production of fruits or nuts of native açaí palms in 2009 amounted 115,947 tons, being 4.1% smaller than that of 2008. The main producer among states was Pará, which concentrated 87.4% of national production. Among municipalities, Limoeiro do Ajuru-PA, with 16.6% of national production.

From 2008 to 2009, the production of babassu nuts fell from 110,636 tons to 109,299 tons. Maranhão concentrated 94% of national total (102,777 tons). The second major producer was Piauí (5,250 tons), followed by Tocantins (537 tons), Ceará (354 tons) and Bahia (335 tons). Among municipalities, the major producer was Vargem Grande-MA, with 5.4% of national production.

The amount piassava fiber harvested in the country in 2009 was 72,232 tons, and was 7.6% smaller than that of 2008, when 78,167 tons were produced. Around 97.7% of national production come from Bahia, where is the municipality with the largest production in 2009, Cairu (31.1%).

Paraná concentrates 71.8% of yerba mate production

In the native herb gardens in the country, in 2009, 218,102 tons of leaves were harvested, what represented a decrease of 0.8% in relation to 2008. The main producer was Paraná, with a production of 156,563 tons, 71.8% of national total. Among municipalities, the major producer was São Mateus do Sul-PR, with 14.9% of national production.

The production of carnauba wax powder in 2009 was 18,300 tons, 168 tons less than in the previous year (18,468 tons). The main national producer was Piauí, with 12,266 tons, 67.0% of the total produced in the country, followed by Ceará, with 5,497 tons. The main municipal producer was Campo Maior-PI (1,358 tons).

In 2009, national production of Brazil nuts amounted 37.467 tons, representing an increase of 21.6% in relation to the output of 30.815 tons obtained in 2008. The main producing state was Amazonas, concentrating 42.7% of the collected total. Acre (27.5%) and Pará (18.7%) also stood out. Among municipalities, the highlight was Beruri-AM (18.9%).