Grigor Gogov, head of the Executive Forests Agency, has informed that Bulgaria plans to restrict its wood exports.

In a Sunday interview for the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), Gogov noted that the efforts of the Executive Forests Agency over the next few years would focus on afforestation.

He pointed out that a total of 8 million saplings had been planted on an area of 16 000 decares  in 2013, while the natural forest growth amounted to 16 million cubic meters and forest areas had increased by 300 000 hectares in the past five years,

Gogov noted that illegal logging remained the biggest problem for the Executive Forests Agency, with the largest number of violations occurring in Bulgaria's northwestern region.

"We plan to bring exports to a minimum, so that the raw material is processed and the added value remains in Bulgaria," he emphasized.

Gogov said that the timber market was stagnant and exports had almost stopped, echoing a recent statement of Bulgaria's Deputy Agriculture Minister Valentina Marinova.

Citing statistics of the Agriculture Ministry, Marinova announced last week that Bulgaria's wood production in 2013 stood at 6.5 million cubic meters, adding that the market was experiencing difficulties and there was no need to do more logging as there was already a surplus in place.

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