19.03.2009 - RMK sold the quarterly birch firewood in two months 19.03

This year, RMK has sold 85 000 m3 of firewood, of which one-fifth was sold to private persons. The birch firewood that was sold for the first time proved to be so popular, mainly with private persons, that in the first two months of the year the entire amount available for the first quarter was sold and the sale has ended as of today.

In conjunction with the arrival of thawing, the traffic of heavy duty vehicles on roads is limited each spring, which is why, as of today, RMK has temporarily stopped taking new orders for firewood in order not to cause a delay of several weeks in the fulfilment of client orders.

Firewood makes up 16% of the timber sold by RMK so far this year. The proportion of companies and institutions that purchased firewood amounted to 81 per cent and up to one-fifth was purchased by private persons. RMK has sold a total of 12 700 m3 of birch firewood since the beginning of the year. If in the case of companies and institutions, birch firewood made up only 4% of the purchase volume, then private persons purchased 10 100 m3 of birch firewood, i.e. 63% of all firewood sold to private persons.

According to Ulvar Kaubi, Head of the Timber Marketing Department of RMK, RMK is offering birch firewood for sale for the first time this year. “Many private persons order birch, as it is the best local timber and is known to have the best calorific value,” said Kaubi, according to whom the amount of the birch firewood sold significantly exceed RMK’s expectations. “The continuation of the sale of birch firewood in the second quarter will be decided upon at the beginning of the cutting-free season in the middle of April, when the final amounts of winter cutting will be known,” Kaubi added.

Last year, RMK sold 2.1 million m3 of timber, of which 320 000 m3 was firewood. RMK is engaged in year round forest management and is therefore able to provide firewood in the summer as well, whereas timber is usually only collected in the winter period.

RMK is a profit-making state agency established under the Forestry Act, aimed at sustainable and efficient management of the state forest. In addition to this, RMK creates possibilities for forest holidays and shapes nature awareness. RMK manages 38% of Estonian forests.

Additional information:
Ulvar Kaubi
Head of the Timber Marketing Department of RMK
Telephone: +372 676 7042, +372 513 7042
E-mail: ulvar.kaubi@rmk.ee
www.rmk.ee/en