Roundwood production

Forest products depend, of course, on the availability of timber - harvested either domestically or imported from other supply sources. The total production of roundwood, utilized for all purposes including fuelwood and exports, is summarized in Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3 and Table 11 for 1980, 1985 and 1990-94. This summary is based on the information reported in detail by sub-region and country in Appendix 7. These tables also show the makeup of total roundwood production by major species group (conifer and non-conifer). Total Asia Pacific Region roundwood production has increased from 891.3 million cubic meters in 1980 to over 1 billion cubic meters for the period 1990-94, reaching a high of 1.13 billion cubic meters in 1994. All sub-regions within the Asia Pacific Region have experienced growth in production over this period. Production is dominantly non-conifer species, reaching 919 million cubic meters in 1994 from a level of just over 722 million cubic meters in 1980. Conifer roundwood production was 213 million cubic meters in 1994, up from 169 million cubic meters in 1980. Non-conifer roundwood production increased for all sub-regions over the 1980-94 period, and conifer production increased for all sub-regions with the exception of Insular SE Asia, where production declined from 1.2 million cubic meters in 1980 to 752 thousand cubic meters in 1994.

For South Asia, India was the dominant producer of roundwood, primarily non-conifer, with a total output of 281 million cubic meters in 1994 which included 270 million cubic meters of non-conifer roundwood. For the Continental sub-region, essentially all production was non-conifer, led by Thailand (35 million cubic meters) and Viet Nam. (34.2 million cubic meters) in 1994. Myanmar produced 21.9 million cubic meters in 1994. The North Asia sub-region accounted for the majority of conifer roundwood throughout this period, increasing from 144.2 million cubic meters in 1980 to 172.9 million cubic meters in 1994. The majority of North Asia's roundwood production was in China, with a total of 341 million cubic meters in 1994 which was approximately balanced at 146.3 million cubic meters of conifer and 157 million cubic meters of non-conifer roundwood. Japan was the second leading producer within this sub-region for both conifer and non-conifer roundwood, with total roundwood production at 25.8 million cubic meters in 1994 which represented a decline from 34.4 million cubic meters in 1980. Japan's production is primarily conifer (18.9 million cubic meters in 1994), with 6.9 million cubic meters of non-conifer roundwood. Both conifer and non-conifer production declined from 1980 to 1994. South Korea and Mongolia also experienced declining roundwood production in contrast to the overall sub-region increased production trend.

Insular SE Asia roundwood production increased from 214.9 million cubic meters in 1980 to a high of 272.1 million cubic meters in 1992 prior to declining to 268.6 million cubic meters by 1994. Conifer production declined from 1.2 million cubic meters in 1980 to 752 million cubic meters in 1994. At the same time, non-conifer production increased from 213 million cubic meters (1980) to 271.4 million cubic meters in 1992, then declining to 267 million cubic meters for 1993-94. As is well recognized, this sub-region is led by production in Indonesia, followed by Malaysia and the Philippines. Outside of India and China, these three countries of Insular SE Asia produce the majority of the Asia-Pacific roundwood, particularly non-conifer roundwood.

Figure 1. Total Roundwood Production for the Asia-Pacific Region

Figure 2. Total Non-coniferous Roundwood Production for the Asia-Pacific Region

Figure 3. Total Coniferous Roundwood Production for the Asia-Pacific Region

Table 11. Total Roundwood Production

Asia Pacific Region - Summary - Total Roundwood Production (1000 CUM)
FAOSTAT	1980	1985	1990	1991	1992	1992	1994
South Asia	276,510	312,375	345,646	352,288	359,311	365,681	372,269
Continental Asia	81,326	89,525	97,295	99,690	100,662	101,678	102,582
North Asia	283,655	312,069	321,960	322,733	327,820	336,208	341,034
Insular SE Asia	214,938	224,634	259,839	266,001	272,090	267,972	268,589
Oceania-S. Pacific	34,836	37,895	41,084	42,790	43,587	45,533	47,342
Asia Pacific Total	891,265	976,498	1,065,824	1,083,502	1,103,470	1,117,072	1,131,816
Asia Pacific Region - Summary - Total Conifer Roundwood Production (1000 CUM)
FAOSTAT	1980	1985	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994
South Asia	9,086	10,639	11,664	11,731	12,051	12,212	12,294
Continental Asia	249	461	246	327	267	338	398
North Asia	144,257	158,355	162,910	162,936	165,419	170,745	172,958
Insular SE Asia	1,175	608	867	742	741	817	752
Oceania-S. Pacific	14,188	16,022	19,523	21,402	22,717	24,596	26,414
Asia Pacific Total	168,955	186,085	195,210	197,138	201,195	208,708	212,816
Asia Pacific Region - Summary - Total Non-Conifer Roundwood Production (1000 CUM)
FAOSTAT	1980	1985	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994
South Asia	267,424	301,736	333,982	340,557	347,260	353,469	359,975
Continental Asia	81,077	89,064	97,049	99,363	100,395	101,340	102,184
North Asia	139,398	153,714	159,050	159,797	162,401	165,463	168,076
Insular SE Asia	213,763	224,027	258,973	265,260	271,350	267,156	267,838
Oceania-S. Pacific	20,649	21,874	21,562	21,388	20,870	20,937	20,928
Asia Pacific Total	722,311	790,415	870,616	886,365	902,276	908,365	919,001

Indonesian total roundwood production increased from 145.8 million cubic meters in 1980 to almost 186.3 million cubic meters in 1994. Conifer roundwood production declined over this period, from over 1 million cubic meters to an estimated 539 million cubic meters. Non-conifer production increased from 144.8 million cubic meters to over 185.7 million cubic meters in 1994. Malaysia roundwood production also increased, from 33.9 million cubic meters in 1980 to almost 43.4 million cubic meters in 1994. Conifer roundwood production increased yet remained modest, from 12 thousand cubic meters in 1980 to just over 276 thousand cubic meters in 1993 and 211 thousand cubic meters in 1994. At the same time, non-conifer production increased from 33.9 million cubic meters to 51.5 million cubic meters in 1992, thereafter declining to 43.2 million cubic meters in 1994.

Production of roundwood in the Philippines also increased but more modestly than for Malaysia, growing from 35 million cubic meters in 1980 to 38.6 million cubic meters in 1994. Conifer roundwood production practically disappeared over this period, with essentially all production being non-conifer after 1990.

Roundwood production in the Oceania-S. Pacific sub-region increased from 34.8 million cubic meters in 1980 to over 47.3 million cubic meters in 1994. Almost all of this increase was in conifer roundwood production which grew from 14.2 million cubic meters to 26.4 million cubic meters in 1994. Australia (9.5 million cubic meters, 1994) and New Zealand (16.8 million cubic meters) showed significant increases in conifer production and did Fiji on a smaller scale (114 thousand cubic meters). Australia's non-conifer roundwood production increased between 1980 and 1985, but thereafter declined moderately to 11.9 million cubic meters in 1994. Papua New Guinea was the second leading sub-region producer of non-conifer roundwood, with a moderate increase from 7 million cubic meters to an estimated 8.1 million cubic meters annually in the 1990's. The Solomon Islands, with non-conifer production of 468 thousand cubic meters in 1994 was the third leading producer within this species group and the fourth leading producer within the sub-region overall.