In 2011, the International Year of Forests, forestry production in Brazil amounted to R$ 18.1 billion: 72.6% from silviculture (creation, development and repairing of forests), reaching a total R$ 13.1 billion and 27.4% from extraction (exploration of native vegetation resources), corresponding to R$ 5.0 billion. These data come from the survey of Forestry Activities (PEVS) - 2011, which investigates, in all the Brazilian municipalities, 38 products obtained from extraction and seven from silviculture activities.

There has been growing participation of silviculture in the national timber production. Out of the total 139,969,520 m³ of logwood, 89.9% come from planted forests and only 10.1% from extraction. Out of the 5 478 973 metric tons of charcoal, 75.3% was the product of silviculture, and 24.7%, of extraction. Considering the production of firewood, on the other hand, extraction accounted for 42.1%, out of a total 315 636 m³, and silviculture, for 57.9%.

The complete publication on Forestry Activities (PEVS) – 2011 can be accessed at: https://www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/economia/pevs/2011/default.shtm

The participation of four timber products – charcoal, firewood, logwood for pulp and paper and logwood for other purposes – which amounts to R$ 13.0 billion, is almost entirely responsible for the silviculture figures; the three non-timber products (eucalyptus leaves, resin and black wattle bark) represent R$ 151.8 million.

The production value of logwood from silviculture surpassed R$ 8.8 billion, shared almost equally between production for pulp and paper and for other purposes. The production of logwood for pulp and paper accounted for 60.3% of the total silviculture production, a process in which all timber products recorded growth, highlighted by charcoal (19.7%).

Logwood from vegetal extraction also recorded production increase in the year: 11.5%

The production from vegetal extraction – which encompasses the collection, rationally-conducted (sustained production) or in a primitive and movable way (usually in a single production) – amounts, in terms of timber products, to a production value of R$ 4.0 billion; for non-timber items (latex, seeds, fibers, fruits and roots, among others), R$ 935.8 million.

In terms of vegetal extraction, the production value of logwood was R$ 2.7 billion. Among the five timber products from extraction, this was the only one to record growth between 2010 and 2011 (11.5%).

Among the main timber products from extraction, charcoal and firewood recorded a decrease in the production (10.1% and 1.7%, respectively), when compared to those obtained in the previous year, which may result from the intervention of environmental and supervising agencies. On the other hand, the amount of logwood was 11.5% higher than in the previous year, partly due to the release of forest management areas for forestry and to the release of areas to be flooded by dams.

Six products alone account for 90.6% of the production value of non-timber vegetal extraction

Acai nuts stand out in non-timber vegetal extraction with a production value of R$ 304.6 million. In addition to babassu nuts (R$ 142.2 million), piassava fibers (R$ 123. 4 million), native yerba mate (R$ 118.0 million), carnauba powder (R$ 90.2 million) and Brazil nut (R$ 69.4 million), they account for 90.6% of the total value in this group. Only sixteen extracted non-timber products recorded an increase in the production when compared with 2010, highlighted by “other fibers”. 456.9% of growth, due to the extraction of a native palm tree from the Brazilian Cerrado, which is used in the production of brooms. The production of oiticica seeds (73.0%) and acai berries (73.1%) also showed significant growth between the two periods.

Among non-timber products from silviculture, resin (R$ 137.5 million) holds about 90% of the total value of non-timber production. Similarly to almost all the other items from silviculture, this product recorded a positive change from 2010 to 2011, in terms of volume produced. Only two products recorded a negative change: eucalyptus leaves and black wattle barks, respectively, by 41.4% and 1.5%.

North and Northeast lead vegetal extraction; South and Southeast lead silviculture

A regional analysis of forestry in Brazil shows that the concentration of products depends on the production process: the South region stands out with two non-timber products from vegetal extraction: yerba mate (99.8%) and pine nut (97.9%). The remaining production from vegetal extraction is concentrated in the states of the North region – mainly acai (94%) and Brazil nut (94.7%) – and of the Northeast region - babassu (99.6%), piassava fibers (96.7%) and carnauba waxing powder (100%).

As to silviculture, the South and Southeast regions prevail in terms of both timber and non-timber products. The distribution of non-timber products is: eucalyptus leaves (89.0%) and resin (59.2%) in the Southeast and black wattle bark in the South, 100% of its production coming from Rio Grande do Sul. The South region accounts for 33.6% of the production of resin. As to timber products from silviculture, the highlights in the Southeast are the production of charcoal (84.0%) and logwood for pulp and paper (38.7%). The South leads the production of firewood (69.1%) and logwood for purposes other than pulp and paper (65.4%).

Non-timber production from vegetal extraction: acai rises 73.1% in 2011

In 2011, the production of acai berries (215,381 metric tons) rose 73.1% in relation to 2010, having increased in almost all producing states except Bahia and Tocantins. The most significant growth was in Amazonas (89,480 metric tons in 2011 against 3,256 metric tons in 2010), where the largest producing municipality, Codajás, is located. However, the production was led by Pará (109,345 ton), which houses 12 out of the 20 largest producing municipalities (eight of them are from Amazonas), all together responsible for 71.4% of the national figure.

As the leading state in the production of babassu nuts, Maranhão (96,160 metric tons) holds 93.8% of the national figure, highlighted by the municipality of Vargem Grande (5,967 metric tons). Maranhão houses the 20 largest producing municipalities (55.6% of the national figure in 2011, 102,499 ton). The decrease of 3.4%, close to the negative evolution recorded in the last years, shows a continuous declining trend.

Producing 59,360 ton, which represents 96.7% of the national figure (61,409 metric tons), Bahia remains the leader in the production of piassava fibers, despite the fall of 3.7% in relation to 2010. Bahia houses 16 out of the 20 largest municipalities producing piassava in Brazil, which represent, together with four municipalities from Amazonas, 99.7% of the national figure. Ilhéus comes first with 20,281 ton produced in 2011.

Out of the 20 largest producers of yerba mate, 15 municipalities are from Paraná, highlighted by São Mateus do Sul, which produced 32,940 metric tons in 2011. Together with three municipalities from Santa Catarina and two from Rio Grande do Sul, they account for 67.7% of the national figure. The total production in 2011 (229,681 metric tons) represented a slight increase of 1% in relation to the previous year. The state of Paraná led the production with 169,549 metric tons.

The largest producers of carnauba waxing powder are from the Northeast, highlighted by Piauí with 12,569 metric tons and by the

municipality of Campo Maior. Considering the total volume produced in Brazil in 2011 (18,636 metric tons), 53% was produced in 12 municipalities from Piauí, seven from Ceará and one from Maranhão.

In 2011 the production of Brazil nut was 4.4% higher than in 2010, due to the largest demand for the product, especially by foreign trade companies. The leading producer was Amazonas (14,661 metric tons), closely followed by Acre (14,035 metric tons) and distantly by Pará (7,192 metric tons). The 20 municipalities that led the ranking – seven from Amazonas, seven from Acre, four from Pará and two from Rondônia – accounted for 74.3% of the national figure. The leader was Beruri from Amazonas, which produced 6,100 metric tons.

In silviculture, eucalyptus leaves was the largest fall (41.4%)

The fall of 41.4% in the production of eucalyptus leaves between 2010 and 2011 is due to the fact that some producing municipalities did not collect, last year, the leaves used in the manufacturing of essential oil (eucalyptol). As a consequence, the 56,797 ton production was collected in 16 municipalities only. The leading producer, São João do Paraíso (32,603 metric tons), is responsible for most of the production in Minas Gerais (39,947 metric tons).

The production of resin is quite widespread along the regions. The leading producer, Paranapanema (7,980 metric tons) is located in the leading state, São Paulo (37,563 metric tons), ranked with municipalities from several regions: five from Rio Grande do Sul, eight from São Paulo, one from Mato Grosso do Sul, two from Minas Gerais, one from Bahia and two from Paraná. Altogether, the 20 municipalities account for 82% of the national production (71,619 metric tons), which registered a slight growth (0.8%) over the previous year.

Exploited in a single state - Rio Grande do Sul – with a production of 105,578 metric tons ton (1.5% lower than in 2010), black wattle barks has been showing a decline in the production along the last few years due to the low price of the product. In 2011, the largest producer was the municipality of Barão do Triunfo.

In 2011, only logwood grew in timber forestry (11.5%)

In 2011, the production of eight states accounts for 95% of the amount of charcoal obtained from vegetal extraction, adding up to 1,351,192 metric tons, a fall of 10.1% over 2010. The leading producer was Mato Grosso do Sul (359,314 metric tons), but the leading municipality comes from Maranhão: Grajaú (85,476 metric tons) leads the ranking of the 20 largest producers.

In 2011, the production of firewood from vegetal extraction (37,574,207 m³) was also 1.7% lower than in the previous year. Bahia (9,171,091 m³), the largest producer, houses 10 out of the 20 leading municipalities, headed by Xique-Xique (677,655 m³).

Logwood was the only timber product from vegetal extraction that raised the production in 2011, with an increase of 11.5% over 2010. From the 14,116,711 m³ produced, Pará accounted for 5,653,358 m³ (40%), becoming the largest producing state. Pará, Acre, Rondônia, Bahia and Mato Grosso share 82% of the national figure. From the 20 largest producing municipalities, 11 are from Paraná, highlighted by Baião (659,764 m³).

Timber production from silviculture: Minas Gerais produces 81% of the charcoal

In order to meet the demand from steel industries and other sectors that use charcoal as energy source, its production rose 19.7% over 2010 (4,127,781 metric tons were produced in 2011). The leading producer is Minas Gerais (3,351,614 metric tons corresponding to 81% of the national figure), headed by the municipality of João Pinheiro (8.2%).

By increasing 7.6% over the previous year, the amount of firewood from silviculture reached 51,741,429 m³ in 2011, 14,364,067 m³ of them produced by Rio Grande do Sul. Ranked in the 20 largest producers, Paraná shows four municipalities, being Telêmaco Borba the main producer (1,721,697 m³).

The production of logwood for pulp and paper was of 75,882,049 m³ in the last year, a growth of 8.7% over 2010. The main producing state is São Paulo with 18,932,703 m³. Among the 20 municipalities with the highest production, Caravelas (Bahia) came first in 2011 with 3,719,102 m³.

The production of logwood for other purposes was of 49,970,760 m³ in 2011, 8.7 % over 2010. Paraná is the largest producing state (18,020,996 m³). However, the ranking is led by a municipality from São Paulo, Itapetininga, with 3.9% of the national figure.