The value of production silviculture¹ and extractive agriculture² has amounted to R$ 12.7 billion in 2008. The percent participation of silviculture in the value of forestry production changed from 68.7% to 69.3% between 2007 and 2008, resulting in R$ 8.8 billion, whereas the participation of extractive agriculture has fallen from 31.34% to 30.7% in the same period, with the lowest percentage since 1990. Extractive agriculture generated R$ 3.9 billion last year, out of which R$ 3.3 billion came from wood-extraction, which has decreased. These and other data are present in the Survey of Extractive Agriculture and Silviculture 2008.

Non-wood extractive agriculture amounted to only R$ 635.7 million. The main non-wood products were assai coquilla nuts (R$ 133.7 million), babassu nuts (R$ 115.6 million), piassava fiber (R$ 104.1 million), native yerba mate (R$ 102.6 million), carnauba wax powder (R$ 62.3 million), Brazil nut (R$ 45.7million) and carnauba wax (R$ 18.5 million). Together, they added up to 91.7% of the overall value of production on non-wood extractive agriculture in the country.

Considering production of these seven items by Major Regions, the highlight was the North, with 92.2% of the national assai (fruit) production, 95.4% of Brazil nut and 12.4% of the production of piassava fiber. The Northeast accounted for 7.8% of the production of assai (fruit), 99.6% of the production of babassu nuts, 87.6% of piassava fiber and 100% of the output of carnauba wax powder. The South Region had yerba mate as its main item of extractive agriculture, with 99.9% of the national production. The Southeast and Central West regions did not account for significant results concerning any of these items.

In terms of silviculture, resin production (oleoresin of pine wood and of other forestry items) amounted to 58,061 metric tons and black wattle barks, 158,548 metric tons. The production of eucalyptus barks, used in the production of eucalyptus oil, amount to 58,326 metric tons, and the Southeast accounted for 76.7% of the total, the South for 4.9% and the Central West, for 18.4%.

In the group Food Products, there was only increase of production of assai (fruit) (11.9%), Brazil nut (1.3%) and imbu (fruit) (7.5%). In the group Fibers, there was increase of production of buriti fruit (22.0%), carnauba (2.0%) and other types of fiber (52.6%); in the group Oilseeds, there was increase of the production of pequi fruit (3.1%), tucum (0.5%) and other oilseeds (58.0%). The amount of coal and the production of firewood and wood log of extractive agriculture decreased -12.2%, -4.1% and -13.8%, respectively.

Pará concentrated 88.5% of the assai fruit production

The national production of fruit or coquilla nuts of native assai palm in 2008 amounted to 120,890 metric tons, 11.9 % more than in 2007. The main producer is Pará, which concentrated 88.5% of the national production. In the state are 17 of the 20 major municipalities which produce native assai palm: Limoeiro do Ajuru, Ponta de Pedras, São Sebastião da Boa Vista, Muaná, Oeiras do Pará, Igarapé-Miri, Mocajuba, Afuá, São Miguel do Guamá, Inhangapi, Magalhães Barata, Barcarena, Cachoeira do Arari, São Domingos do Capim, Marapanim, Irituia and Santa Luzia do Pará. In Maranhão are other important producing centers, such as Luís Domingues, Carutapera and Amapá do Maranhão. Together, the 20 main producing municipalities accounted for 83.3% of the national production.

Concentration was also high in terms of babassu nuts, which amounted to 110,636 metric tons in 2008: in Maranhão there was concentration of 94.4% of this amount. The second main producing state was Piauí, with 5,070 metric tons and followed by Ceará (359 metric tons), Tocantins (345 metric tons) and Bahia (341 metric tons). The 20 main producing municipalities are located in Maranhão and held 53.3% of the national production. In first place is Vargem Grande, with 5,805 metric tons (5.2% of the national production).

The amount of piassava fiber harvested in the country totaled 78,167 in 2008, 4.8% below the amount obtained in 2007 (82,096 metric tons). Bahia accounted for 87.6% of the national production, and Amazonas for 12.4%.

Paraná produced 70.4% of yerba mate

In 2008 a total 219,773 metric tons of leaves were harvested in the country, with decrease of 2.7% in relation to the amount obtained in 2007. The main producer was Paraná, with 154,701 metric tons (70.4% of the national total). In other states, the results were: Santa Catarina, 39,637 metric tons; Rio Grande do Sul, 25,156 metric tons; and Mato Grosso do Sul, 279 metric tons. In the ranking of the 20 main producing municipalities, 16 are located in Paraná and the one placed in the first position is São Mateus do Sul, which held 14.5% of the national output.

The production of carnauba wax powder in 2008 amounted to 18,468 metric tons, 805 metric tons lower than in the previous year (19,273 metric tons). The main national producer was Piauí, with 12,454 metric tons (67.4% of the national total); followed by Ceará (5,492 metric tons). Among the main producing municipalities, eleven were located in Piauí, eight in Ceará and one of them in Maranhão. The first and third positions present the municipalities of Campo Maior (1,339 metric tons) and Piripiri (876 metric tons), both located in Piauí.

The production of carnauba wax amounted to 3,044 metric tons, with decrease of 4.6%, compared to 2007. Ceará was the main national producer, with 81.4% of the national total. In second place was Rio Grande do Norte (17.2%). Maranhão and Amazonas complete the list of producing states, accounting for only 1.4% of the total produced in the country. The main producers in Ceará were Russas, Granja, Morada Nova, Aracati, Cariré, Santana do Acaraú and Itarema.

In 2008, the national production of Brazil nut amounted to 30,815 metric tons, with increase of 1.3% in relation to the 30,406 metric tons obtained in 2007. The main producing state was Acre, with 37.4% of the total. Also important were the figures in Amazonas (29.6%), Pará (20.1%) and Rondônia (6.2%).

Among the 20 main producing municipalities, Rio Branco (AC) held 7.0% of the national production, being followed by Brasiléia (6.9%), Xapuri (6.7%) and Sena Madureira (6.3%). 

Production of coal by silviculture has been on rising trend since 2002

The production of coal by silviculture has remained on a rising trend since 2002. Between 2007 and 2008, the rise was 4.4%, adding up to 3,975,393 metric tons. Coal produced by extractive agriculture has faced production decrease of 12.2% in the same period, adding up to 2,221,990 metric tons in 2008. The overall coal output was 6,197,383 metric tons last year, 2.2% below that of 2007 (6,336,469 metric tons).

In 2008, the main states in terms of coal production were Minas Gerais (78.3% of the national production), Maranhão (9.4%), Bahia (3.4%), Espírito Santo (2.0%) and São Paulo (1.9%). As for producing municipalities, the highlights were Curvelo (MG), with 173,598 metric tons (4.4% of the national production) and, in Maranhão, the municipality of Açailândia, with 132,172 metric tons (3.3% of the national total). In Minas Gerais, other highlights were Araguari (168,676 metric tons), Felixlândia (161,313 metric tons), Pompéu (151,738 metric tons), Três Marias (136,460 metric tons) and João Pinheiro (132,967 metric tons).

The main producers of coal obtained from firewood by extractive agriculture were Maranhão (23.9% of the national production), Mato Grosso do Sul (18.7%), Minas Gerais (18.0%), Paraná (7.6%) and Piauí (7.6%). Among the municipalities, the main national producer in 2008 was Bom Jardim, in Maranhão, with 74,618 metric tons (3.4% of the national production); in Paraná, the main producer was Cruz Machado, with 61,620 metric tons; in Minas Gerais, Felixlândia, with 55,738 metric tons.

Between 2007 and 2008, the participation of firewood in silviculture increased 2.9 percentage points. Last year, the national output was 42,037,848 m³ of firewood produced by silviculture and 42,117,639 m³ of firewood obtained from extractive agriculture. Production in Brazil was 84,155,487 m³ of firewood, or 1.4% more than in 2007.

In the production of firewood by silviculture, the main producing states were Rio Grande do Sul (33.9% of the 42,037,848 m³ produced in the country), São Paulo (16.4%), Paraná (15.6%), Santa Catarina (13.3%) and Minas Gerais (12.7%). Concerning wood from extractive agriculture, the main producers were Bahia (23.4% of the 42,117,639 m³ harvested), Ceará (10.8%), Pará (8.6%), Maranhão (6.8%), Amazonas (6.5%) and Paraná (5.3%).

The three main municipalities in terms of firewood from silviculture were Araguari (MG), with 1,233,958 m³; Butiá (RS), with 830,000 m³; and Santa Cruz do Sul (RS), with 767,823 m³. Another highlight was the municipality of Itapetininga, located in the state of São Paulo and whose production amounted to 660,490 m³. Considering firewood from extractive agriculture, the main producers were Euclides da Cunha (BA), with 680,000 m³; Xique-Xique (BA), with 668,739 m³; and Serra do Ramalho (BA), with 570.773 m³.

Inspection is responsible for decrease of wood production 

Concerning wood logs, the national production in 2008 was below that of 2007 (121,520,350 m³), amounting to 115,389,259 m³. Among these, 87.8% came from cultivated woods and 12.2% from native vegetation. The output of wood produced by extractive agriculture was 14,127,359 m³, 13.8% below that of 2007. In the group of planted or harvested wood, production amounted to 101,261,900 m³, with decrease of 3.7% in the same period. The amount of wood produced for paper and cellulose was 58,181,842 m³, and for other uses  (construction, furniture, shipwrighting, etc.) 43,080,058 m³. In relation to 2007, the production of wood for paper and cellulose fell by 4.6%, and that of wood for other purposes decreased by  2.5%.

The major producers in the sector of extractive agriculture are Pará, with na output of 7,618,912 m³ (53.9% of the national output); Mato Grosso, with 1.,69,083 m³ (10.4%); Bahia, with 1,076,820 m³ (7.6%); Amazonas, with 1,102,976 m³ (7.8%); and Rondônia, with 834,946 m³ (5.9%). The five main producing municipalities are located in Pará: Tailândia, with 900,000 m³ (6.4% of the national output); Portel (750,000 m³), Baião (629,923 m³), Almeirim (595,760 m³), and Paragominas (546,620 m³).

See below the percent distribution of each wood product (coal, firewood and wood logs) by origin of planted forests (silviculture) and of native vegetation (extractive agriculture). In terms of charcoal, the participation of the product obtained from silviculture had increase of four percentage points.

In the production of wood from forests planted for paper and cellulose, the main producing states in 2008 were São Paulo, with 14,485,708 m³ (24.9% of the 58,181,842 m³ produced in the country); Bahia, with 11,924.025 m³ (20.5%); Paraná, with 8,504,978 m³ (14.6%); Santa Catarina, with 6,525,163 m³ (11.2%); Espírito Santo, with 5,876,628 m³ (10.1%); Minas Gerais, with 5,590,394 m³ (9.6%); Rio Grande do Sul, with 2,912,226 m³ (5.0%); and Pará, with 1,126,400 m³ (1.9%).

Among the municipalities, a highlight is Conceição da Barra (ES), with output of 2,615,561 m³; Nova Viçosa (BA), with 2,350,058 m³; Itapetininga (SP), with 2,080,730 m³; Aracruz (ES), with 1,799,511 m³; and Mucuri (BA), with 1,728,489 m³.

In terms of wood production for other purposes, the highlights were Paraná, with 13,838,196 m³ (32.1% of the  43,080,058 m³ produced in the country); São Paulo, with 8,681,581 m³ (20.2%); Santa Catarina, with  7,954,808 m³ (18.5%); and Rio Grande do Sul, with 5,350,374 m³ (12.4%).

The main producing municipalities are Itapetininga (SP), with 1,580,950 m³ (3.7% of the national total); General Carneiro (PR), with 1,380,000 m³; Porto Grande (AP), with 1,320,178 m³; Cerro Azul (PR), with 924,630 m³; and Lençóis Paulista (SP), with 901,320 m³.

______________________

1 Silviculture is the activity which deals with the establishment, development and reproduction of forests, aiming at several different objectives, such as production of wood, coal, resins, environmental protection, etc.

2 Extractive agriculture is the process of exploration of native resources and encompassed the harvesting or production of items such as wood, rubber, seeds, fiber, fruits and others, in a rational way, thus allowing the obtention of products throughout the time, in a primitive or itinerant manner, usually leading to a single production.