In 2017, sawmills in the UK consumed a total of 6.8 million green tonnes of softwood, a 2% increase from 2016 (Table 2.7). A further 0.1 million green tonnes of hardwood were consumed by UK sawmills in 2017. Most of the logs, 6.6 million green tonnes softwood and 0.1 million green tonnes hardwood, were grown in the UK.
A total of 3.7 million cubic metres of sawnwood was produced in the UK in 2017, a 3% increase from 2017.
The levels of softwood consumption and sawn softwood production in the UK have increased by around one third between 2008 and 2017.
In addition to producing sawnwood, sawmills also generate other products. Further information on other products produced by larger mills are provided in Tables 2.18 and 2.18a.
Table 2.7 Consumption and production by UK sawmills, 2008-2017
Year | Softwood | Hardwood | ||||||
consumption: thousand green tonnes, production: thousand m3 sawnwood | ||||||||
Consumption of | Production | Consumption of | Production | |||||
UK grown | Imported | Total | UK grown | Imported | Total | |||
2008 | 4933 | 174 | 5107 | 2755 | 66 | 20 | 86 | 44 |
2009 | 5133 | 158 | 5291 | 2809 | 76 | 19 | 95 | 48 |
2010 | 5616 | 103 | 5719 | 3053 | 75 | 19 | 94 | 48 |
2011 | 5859 | 125 | 5984 | 3227 | 81 | 20 | 100 | 52 |
2012 | 6073 | 124 | 6198 | 3361 | 75 | 17 | 93 | 48 |
2013 | 6407 | 126 | 6532 | 3536 | 74 | 13 | 88 | 46 |
2014 | 6725 | 159 | 6884 | 3716 | 77 | 14 | 91 | 47 |
2015 | 6168 | 182 | 6350 | 3451 | 76 | 14 | 89 | 46 |
2016 | 6511 | 209 | 6720 | 3624 | 75 | 17 | 92 | 47 |
2017 | 6581 | 267 | 6848 | 3728 | 66 | 13 | 80 | 42 |
Source: Sawmill Survey
Sources chapter: Sawmill Survey