Wood is an important natural resource. The raw material is renewable, climate neutral and suitable for material recycling and as energy source. For this reason it is important that the wood utilisation potential in Switzerland be exploited as efficiently and sustainably as possible. Production costs and revenues are the decisive factor for wood utilisation and use. Prices are influenced by natural disasters, such as storm events, international markets and the prevailing economic climate. Producers have little influence on prices.

After Storm Lothar in late 1999, there was an oversupply of wood and prices fell dramatically. They have recovered since 2005 and utilisation in the forests has increased. The reasons behind the increase in prices are the general scarcity and increasing price of raw materials, increasing processing capacities and the stronger demand for energy wood. The price index for hard sawnwood is significantly lower than that for soft sawnwood. This can be largely explained by the low level of demand for beech which, in terms of volume, is the most important hardwood species.

Assessment of development: negative in the short term, positive in the long term

Survey of cantonal forestry services Calculation of index based on a weighted grid