Summit-meeting of the Directorate-General of State Forests and the Wood-Processors Association
Co-operation between the wood-processors and the Lithuanian State Forests was discussed during the summit-meeting held at the Directorate-General of State Forests on 30 March 2011. Mr. Juozupas Zimnickas (Director of the Wood-Processors Association), Mr. Benjaminas Sakalauskas (Director of the Directorate-General of State Forests), Mr. Gintaras Visalga, (Deputy-Director of the Directorate-General of State Forests), and Mr. Andrius Vancevicius (Senior-Adviser of the Directorate-General of State Forests) participated in the meeting.
During the meeting, the situation of the state forests was reviewed, and issues concerning co-operation with the wood-processors were discussed. Director Zimnickas, speaking on behalf of the members of the Association, expressed their positive point of view that no problems occur lately between the State Forests and the wood-processors, that wood-log purchases are performed according to schedule that operates smoothly, and that signed contracts are enforced.
While discussing the issues of the wood-log trade, the representatives of the Directorate-General of State Forests assured that, as planned, an electronic system for such timber sales would be launched in approximately the middle of the second-half of 2011. This system should simplify procedures for electronic trading.
Referring to information regarding a negative experience of neighboring Poland in electronic timber-sales, the Director of the Wood Processors’ Association asked that particular attention be paid to any possible leakage of information while using the electronic sales system, because such information leaks could lead to collapse of the wood-log trade.
During the meeting, a further issue was mentioned: timber for processing should not be burned in biofuel boiler-houses, as has been much-encouraged recently. Mr. Sakalauskas assured Mr. Zimnickas that he will take every effort to avoid this practice.
Source: Directorate General of State Forests web site: www.gmu.lt
