Timber harvesting in the UK is facing several pressures at the moment, and many contractors are finding conditions increasingly difficult.

The timber industry is currently maneuvering through an ever-evolving landscape marked by various challenges that significantly influence its growth and resilience. Several key factors are at play, intricately shaping the sector and determining its direction. Among these influences are shifting consumer preferences, environmental sustainability concerns, innovative technological advancements, and fluctuating market demands, each contributing to the industry’s complex and multifaceted environment.

80,000 Hours

That’s a remarkable amount of work hours for a single machine, the Norcar 600 owned by Erkki Rinne is taken well care of, it even has the original Diesel engine.
Kieran Anders Forestry

Kieran Anders is a forestry contractor working in the lake district. His work involves hand cutting and extracting timber using a skidder and tractor-trailer forwarder.
Promoting safety in the workplace

It is not possible to eliminate chain shot, but there are simple steps that can be taken to reduce the risk.
Glasfryn Fencing and Sawmill

Arwel takes great pride in the fact that the mill has no waste whatsoever, “the peelings are used for children’s playgrounds, gardens and for farm animals in barns in the winter and the sawdust has multiple uses in gardens and farms as well.
Keeping Timber Hauliers Safe

Timber hauliers need to encourage young blood in, and also look after the hauliers we have, we need make the sector a safe and positive place to work.

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Timber Demand Trends

A slowdown in homebuilding and construction activities has influenced the demand for structural timber. As a result, some sawmills are thoughtfully adjusting their production levels and operational strategies.

Timber at Roadsides

In various regions, the pace of timber harvesting has outstripped the capacity for haulage and processing. This has led to logs sitting at roadsides for long periods.

Operational Costs

The substantial costs associated with fuel, machinery, labour, and insurance represent a significant concern for contractors.

Skilled Labour Availability

The industry is experiencing a notable shortage of skilled machine operators, mechanics, and timber truck drivers.

Weather Impact

Changing weather patterns, including unpredictable storms and wet winters, are affecting harvesting operations.

Future Timber Supply

While new planting efforts are underway, aligning them with future demand is crucial for maintaining a robust supply of logs..

Despite these challenges, the timber industry is poised for growth and evolution by embracing change and focusing on sustainable practices.

The long-term outlook for timber remains positive. The UK still imports around 80% of the timber it uses, so there is strong underlying demand for home-grown wood. The current issues are affecting profitability and the speed of harvesting more than the long-term need for timber. Improving the current situation requires action from forest owners, contractors, processors and government. No single change will solve it, but several measures together could make a significant difference.

Some of the most effective steps are:

Increase domestic demand for timber by encouraging greater use of timber in housebuilding, commercial buildings and infrastructure. A stronger home market gives harvesting contractors more consistent work.

Expand UK sawmill capacity so more home-grown timber can be processed locally, reducing bottlenecks and reliance on exports.

Improve harvesting planning between forest owners, contractors, hauliers and mills to avoid large volumes of timber sitting at roadside waiting for transport.

Invest in transport infrastructure, including forest roads and timber haulage routes, to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Support forestry contractors through grants or low-interest finance for modern, fuel-efficient machinery, helping businesses cope with high capital costs.

Train and recruit more people by expanding forestry apprenticeships and machine operator training to address the shortage of skilled workers.

Provide long-term certainty through consistent woodland creation and management policies, giving contractors and mills confidence to invest.

Improve woodland creation rates so there is a sustainable supply of timber in the decades ahead.

Promote better utilisation of timber, finding higher-value uses for lower-grade logs and increasing markets for biomass, engineered wood products and other forest products.

Encourage innovation, such as digital planning tools, precision harvesting systems and technologies that improve productivity while reducing environmental impacts.

For the UK in particular, many people in the forestry sector believe the biggest priorities are:

1. Increasing demand for home-grown timber.

2. Raising woodland creation to secure future supply.

3. Improving profitability for harvesting contractors.

4. Investing in skills and workforce development

If these areas are addressed together, the industry would be in a much stronger position to meet future demand while remaining economically sustainable.