Wood Processing Sector in Bulgaria on the Verge of Collapse - Experts Signal Danger

Record Low Harvesting and Industry Crisis

"The wood processing sector in our country is in collapse," warns eng. Petar Dishkov, expert at the Bulgarian Chamber of Wood Processing and Furniture Industry (BCWPFI)".

"For last year 2024, harvesting is record low, and for 2025 the situation is even worse. While in Europe 75-80 percent of growth is harvested, in our country last year this percentage was 42. The results are already evident - the country is engulfed by fires, forests in lower areas are massively drying out. The lack of consistent policy has led to investor outflow, bankruptcies and production closures," comments eng. Petar Dishkov.

Among the negative consequences is the withdrawal of investors like "Mondi Stamboliyski", who are terminating their activities in the country and turning to foreign markets.

Social Effect and Threatened Regions

"Forestry together with forest industry (wood processing and furniture production) employs over 60,000 people, mainly in semi-mountainous and mountainous regions threatened by depopulation, and also provides 3 percent of GDP. However, the potential of these two sectors could be double. Most EU countries recognize the importance of the forest sector - for example, Poland declares its intention to declare wood a key raw material," comments Dishkov and rhetorically asks: "Isn't it time for Bulgaria to recognize the importance of this sector, or will it leave its forests to be destroyed by natural disasters, to dry out or burn?"

Many enterprises have limited their activities or stopped working, and forest workers are on strike due to lack of salary updates.

International Strategies and Support Examples

• The Canadian government invests "700 million dollars in the form of credits, separately 500 million dollars will be invested to increase competitiveness and 50 million dollars to encourage qualification"; emphasis is placed on using local wood and market diversification.
• In the USA, the forest service "announced an intention to increase its own harvesting by 20 percent, with the goal of improving forest health and increasing forest industry capacity".

Crisis Causes and Proposed Solutions

One of the main factors for fires in the country is "the persistent aging of Bulgarian forests, especially short-lived coppice and artificially created coniferous forests, which represent 70-75 percent of our forests".

"On average in Europe, about 75-80 percent of growth is harvested, in our country last year 42 percent was harvested. In the coming years, massive drying and forest collapse can be expected in the low vegetation zone. The only solution is their rejuvenation," the expert comments.