Why Zhytomyr Woodworkers Are Buying Timber Abroad Despite the Region’s Vast Forests
Wood-processing companies in Zhytomyr region are being forced to buy timber from abroad despite the region having the largest forest area in Ukraine, according to Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration head Vitalii Bunечko. He raised the issue during congressional hearings on the country’s forestry-sector reform.
Zhytomyr Businesses Turn to Imported Timber
Wood-processing manufacturers in Zhytomyr region are facing difficulties obtaining enough raw material for their operations, according to Vitalii Bunечko, head of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration.
Speaking about the problems facing the forestry sector, Bunечko said local manufacturers have reached the point where they are buying timber abroad, including from Poland and Romania.
The situation is particularly notable because Zhytomyr region has the largest forest area among Ukraine’s regions, with more than one million hectares of forests.
Regional Authorities Link the Problem to Forestry Reform
Bunечко raised the issue during congressional hearings involving representatives of the Presidential Office, the government, parliament, the State Agency of Forest Resources and the state enterprise Forests of Ukraine.
He criticized what he described as negative consequences of the forestry-sector reform, including a reduction in the number of state forestry enterprises and lower tax revenues for local communities.
According to the regional administration head, the shortage of raw material is now affecting local wood-processing businesses directly.
Concern Over Local Budgets and Energy Supply
Bunечко also warned that the shortage has consequences beyond the woodworking industry.
He said money that could be spent within Ukraine is instead going to forestry suppliers in Poland and Romania, while the state loses associated tax and foreign-currency revenues.
The regional administration also raised concerns about the availability of firewood for communities that use alternative heating facilities.
Zhytomyr Region Has a Major Forestry Industry
The region’s large forest resource has historically supported forestry, woodworking and related industries.
The current dispute is therefore focused not on the absence of forests themselves, but on access to sufficient timber for industrial processing.
Bunечко called on the new management of the state enterprise Forests of Ukraine and the relevant ministry to take the concerns of Zhytomyr region into account.
The regional position was reportedly supported by representatives of other Ukrainian regions during the hearings.
