In 2016 the average forest regeneration costs, depending on the forest land quality group, varied between 551 and 600 euros per hectare.
In 2015, these costs constituted 620-687 EUR/ha. The forest regeneration costs include expenditure on soil preparation, small sapling expenses and planting costs, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia.
In 2016, the highest forest regeneration costs were recorded in the forests of the third forest land quality group (600.24 EUR/ha), while the lowest – in the forests of the fourth forest land quality group (551.15 EUR/ha); these costs, compared to the year before, have declined by 12.6% and 12.1% respectively.
In 2016, forest tending costs in Latvia comprised 187-233 EUR/ha. The highest forest tending costs, which include agro-technical tending of forest and tending of young growths, were observed in the forests of the fourth forest land quality group – 232.91 EUR/ha, up by 6.1% YoY.
In 2016, the average harvesting costs (per one cubic meter of timber) in the final felling, within which the respective part of the forest is felled almost completely, constituted EUR 16.14, down by 2.4% YoY. In its turn, harvesting costs in the intermediate felling (thinning, reconstructive felling and sanitary clear felling), within which the respective part of the forest is fallen partly, decreased by 5.7%, reaching 20.37 EUR/cubic meter.
The total harvesting costs in the final felling and intermediate felling consist of the labor costs, transportation costs and costs of the machinery used. Cutting within the intermediate felling is performed by sampling trees; therefore, the total harvesting costs in this felling type are higher, as compared to the final felling, where almost all trees are cut. (BNN/Business World Magazine)