Logging in state forests is mainly carried out by private companies, a very small volume is harvested by forestry workers.

This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Valentin Chambov in the program "Speak Now" on BNT.

"In previous years, the price of a cut cube was around BGN 25-30, but after we saw at the beginning of the year that there was a problem with satisfying the population, we raised the price to around BGN 40 so that someone could still do this work.

The demand for firewood for the winter has doubled

It is likely that in the coming months, a new increase in these remunerations will be necessary, because the ministry can undertake a new procedure - mining to storage will be carried out by private companies, and then the sale will be organized by state farms.

"We will pay the private sector more, but to bring us to the temporary deficit, after which the forestry industry disposes of this raw material," commented the minister

On the occasion of the speculation with the prices of wood, Chambov stated that there is no serious increase in the state warehouses, but the companies that bought at competitive auctions sell at a price that they determine, because Bulgaria is a market economy and the state cannot force them to sell at a higher price. low prices.

"In order to reduce speculation, we sell at prices that are a guide for companies. Last year we put 900,000 spatial cubic meters on the market, and this year we will put out about 1,300,000. And still, it's not enough, because a lot of people switched from gas , electricity and pellets to wood. this pushes this segment of the market in our country," explained the deputy minister

Bulgarian citizens burn about 5-6 million cubic meters and the state can provide about 1/5 of them.

The remaining quantities are from private and municipal forests, purchased from companies.

"People who have paid forestry prices will get their wood at those prices, even if there is some delay. As for those who have trusted private traders - I can't talk about timings or prices there ", he said.

deforestation