Forests are one of Republika Srpska’s main natural resources, and wood processing is one of its traditional export industries. Official figures for 2017–2024 show two clear trends: less timber is being felled, and it costs more.
Less timber
Gross felling fell from 3.26 million m³ in 2017 to 2.57 million m³ in 2024, a drop of 21%. State forests supplied 2.38 million m³ of the 2024 total and private forests about 190,000 m³. Broadleaves, mainly beech and oak, and conifers, fir and spruce, each made up half.
The state forests are managed by the public enterprise Šume Republike Srpske a.d., based in Sokolac, through 27 forest management units. In 2024 it produced 1.79 million m³ of forest assortments, including 905,485 m³ of logs for sawing.
Higher prices
The average price of assortments sold from state forests rose from 83.45 KM/m³ in 2017 to 121.01 KM/m³ in 2024, excluding VAT. That is an increase of 45%. Conifer assortments averaged 137.69 KM/m³ and broadleaves 105 KM/m³.
The processing industry
Wood and wood products sold 530 million KM in 2024, furniture 251 million KM and paper and paper products 185 million KM. Wood products had peaked at 675 million KM in 2022, when European demand for timber was high, and have declined since. Forestry itself added 225.6 million KM of value in 2024, or 1.3% of GDP.
What it means for buyers
With raw material limited and more expensive, processors earn more by selling dried, finished and assembled products than rough sawn timber. Buyers in the EU should also expect questions about legality and traceability under the EU Deforestation Regulation. They should ask suppliers for the origin of the logs and for FSC or PEFC chain-of-custody certificates.
More on the sector: Forestry and wood processing.
Sources
- Republika Srpska Institute of Statistics, This is Republika Srpska 2025, tables 17.3 and 24.1–24.4.
- Šume Republike Srpske a.d. Sokolac, official website.