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<p>The Forestry Commission publish availability forecasts for softwood and hardwood.
The proportion of this resource that reaches market will depend on market conditions
and the wishes of those that own woodland. In the period 2013 – 2016 annual softwood
production varied between 13 and 14 million m<sup>3</sup> over bark standing compared
to a forecast availability of 16.5 millon m<sup>3 </sup>over bark standing. Softwood
production in 2017 was 13.3 million m<sup>3</sup> over bark standing compared to a
forecast availability of 17.1 million m<sup>3</sup> over bark standing.</p><p> </p><p>The
2014 forecast of softwood availability for the forest estate in Great Britain is an
average of 15.2 million m<sup>3</sup> over bark standing per annum over the next 50
years. This availability exceeds current production levels. Current forecasts do not
take into account timber that will become available from woodlands that have been
recently established and will be established in the near future.</p><p> </p><p>Softwood
availability is forecast to reach 18.4 million m<sup>3</sup> over bark standing in
the period 2027 – 2031. Hardwood availability is forecast to reach 3 million m<sup>3</sup>
over bark standing in 2042 – 2046. Current forecasts do not take into account timber
that will become available from woodlands that have been recently established and
will be established in the near future.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Table
1</strong></p></td><td colspan="4"><p><strong>Roundwood availability forecasts</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="4"><p>thousand cubic metres overbark standing</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Annual
average in the period</p></td><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>Wales</p></td><td><p>Scotland</p></td><td><p>Great
Britain</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total softwood</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013 - 2016</p></td><td><p>4,577</p></td><td><p>1,983</p></td><td><p>9,928</p></td><td><p>16,487</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017
- 2021</p></td><td><p>4,555</p></td><td><p>1,940</p></td><td><p>10,656</p></td><td><p>17,151</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2022
- 2026</p></td><td><p>4,113</p></td><td><p>1,982</p></td><td><p>11,346</p></td><td><p>17,442</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2027
- 2031</p></td><td><p>4,145</p></td><td><p>1,553</p></td><td><p>12,700</p></td><td><p>18,398</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2032
- 2036</p></td><td><p>3,916</p></td><td><p>1,670</p></td><td><p>12,062</p></td><td><p>17,649</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2037
- 2041</p></td><td><p>3,237</p></td><td><p>1,473</p></td><td><p>11,069</p></td><td><p>15,779</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2042
- 2046</p></td><td><p>2,903</p></td><td><p>1,021</p></td><td><p>9,257</p></td><td><p>13,181</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2047
- 2051</p></td><td><p>2,537</p></td><td><p>1,106</p></td><td><p>8,266</p></td><td><p>11,909</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2052
- 2056</p></td><td><p>2,259</p></td><td><p>1,229</p></td><td><p>8,566</p></td><td><p>12,054</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2057
- 2061</p></td><td><p>2,853</p></td><td><p>1,373</p></td><td><p>7,966</p></td><td><p>12,193</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total
hardwood</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013 - 2016</p></td><td><p>249</p></td><td><p>32</p></td><td><p>92</p></td><td><p>373</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017
- 2021</p></td><td><p>425</p></td><td><p>58</p></td><td><p>148</p></td><td><p>631</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2022
- 2026</p></td><td><p>648</p></td><td><p>94</p></td><td><p>203</p></td><td><p>945</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2027
- 2031</p></td><td><p>806</p></td><td><p>112</p></td><td><p>244</p></td><td><p>1,162</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2032
- 2036</p></td><td><p>923</p></td><td><p>130</p></td><td><p>277</p></td><td><p>1,330</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2037
- 2041</p></td><td><p>1,176</p></td><td><p>171</p></td><td><p>391</p></td><td><p>1,738</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2042
- 2046</p></td><td><p>2,104</p></td><td><p>299</p></td><td><p>616</p></td><td><p>3,019</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2047
- 2051</p></td><td><p>1,795</p></td><td><p>246</p></td><td><p>715</p></td><td><p>2,755</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2052
- 2056</p></td><td><p>1,388</p></td><td><p>227</p></td><td><p>599</p></td><td><p>2,214</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2057
- 2061</p></td><td><p>791</p></td><td><p>167</p></td><td><p>406</p></td><td><p>1,364</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p>Source: National Forest Inventory: 50-year forecast of softwood availability
(Forestry Commission, April 2014), National Forest Inventory: 50-year forecast of
hardwood availability (Forestry Commission, April 2014)</p><p>Notes:</p><ol><li>The
estate of the Forestry Commission and Natural Resources Wales is assumed to be managed
according to current management plans; note both Forestry Commission Scotland and
Natural Resources Wales intend to cap production below the level set out in this table.</li><li>For
softwood, private woodland is assumed to be managed in a way that maximises total
production.</li></ol><p> </p><ol><li>More recent softwood availability forecasts,
covering a 25 year period only, are available from the NFI web pages at:</li></ol><p><a
href="http://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/national-forest-inventory/"
target="_blank">www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/national-forest-inventory/</a></p><ol><li>In
private woodland, hardwood harvesting is assumed to be limited to areas with evidence
of recent thinning activity. If these woodlands were managed to maximise total production,
the forecast would be much higher, as illustrated in the full National Forest Inventory
report available at:</li></ol><p><a href="http://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/national-forest-inventory/"
target="_blank">www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/national-forest-inventory/</a></p><p>
</p><ol><li>An update to these figures is due to be published in 2020.</li></ol><p>
</p><p>To convert ‘overbark standing’ into green tonnes multiply by 0.818 (for softwood)
and by 0.900 (for hardwood).</p>
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