Development of the Forestry Sector and Domestic Wood Processing Discussed at Zakarpattia Regional Military Administration

A meeting was held at the Zakarpattia Regional Military Administration with the participation of representatives of authorities, business, and industry associations, dedicated to the future of the forestry sector. Participants discussed the balance between processors’ access to raw materials, harvesting volumes, and environmental requirements. The cross-cutting theme of the discussion was the thesis that Ukrainian wood should work for the domestic economy — providing jobs, added value, and strengthening the country’s export potential.

Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotskyi emphasized that the priority of state policy is to create conditions under which business will have predictable access to raw materials and be able to invest in deeper processing. Meeting participants stressed that the forestry sector should focus not only on market stabilization but also on increasing added value within the country. Key topics included ensuring processors have access to raw materials, limiting exports of unprocessed wood, and preparing the Sector Development Strategy until 2030.

The state is already implementing a number of measures to stabilize the sector and bring it closer to EU standards. In particular, the operational plan of the State Forest Management Strategy until 2035 has been updated, an experimental project for the implementation of the European regulation on preventing deforestation (EUDR) has been launched, and the validity of forest management materials has been extended to ensure continuous operation of forestry enterprises. At the same time, the management reform is being simplified through the transformation of the State Enterprise «Forests of Ukraine», issues of supply to the domestic market are being regulated, and an electronic logging ticket with geolocation is being introduced.

In summary, the state links the future of the sector with a combination of increasing harvesting volumes and the development of deep processing. The goal is to provide Ukrainian business with stable and predictable access to raw materials, so that production, jobs, tax revenues, and export earnings remain in Ukraine.