Money does grow on trees: Russia to boost timber sales
Published: 05 December, 2007, 11:52
The government wants to boost exports of processed timber. Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov made the announcement on a visit to Vologda region to discuss Russia's forestry and timber industries.
However, industry analysts remain sceptical. They say the country lacks processing capacity and technological expertise. They also say management practices in the industry are old-fashioned and urgently need updating.
Dmitry Ryzhakov, analyst at Step by Step in Moscow, says Russia needs to “introduce detailed planning and to improve its technical expertise. This will improve understanding of Russia's forestry resources and improve the industry's status.”
“Currently Russia's influence in the world timber industry is minimal – less than 2% of global timber exports. That's despite the fact that 20% of the world's timber resources are here in Russia,” Ryzhakov said.
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05.12.2007, 18:33
Russia to boost timber salesPrime Minister Viktor Zubkov is calling for the development of Russia's timber industry. Visiting the Vologda Region to discuss the issues facing the sector, he said although Russia has the money, it lags behind other countries in terms of know-how and te |
