Supply and demand of woods

Timber Consumption: According to Forestry Sector Master Plan 1992, per capita timber consumption is 0.026 m³ and therefore, the estimated total timber consumption for population of 124.66 million in 1992-93 is 3.253 million m³. The contribution of state controlled forest to this consumption according to office records of all Forest Departments in 0.470 million m³ (14.4%); imports of wood and wood products is 1.280 million m³ (39.3%) costing to Rs.4704.3 million, most of which is in the form of pulp and paper (92%) and farmlands provide the balance 1.503 million m³ (46.2%) of timber.

Fuelwood Consumption: The FSMP per capita also gives per capita fuelwood consumption of 0.208 m³ and total fuelwood consumption in 1992-93 was thus estimated at 25.95 million m³ for both industrial and domestic purposes. Of this total 23.355 million m³ (90%) is contributed by farmlands and waste lands and the rest 2.595 million m³ (10%) is supplied by state controlled forests in the form of recorded and un-recorded removals. On the other hand, the Household Energy Strategy Study of 1993 finds that the annual fuelwood production is 32.33 million m³ and annual consumption is 46.148 million m³. The fuelwood gap for Pakistan is estimated at 13.82 million m³. This gap is very close to that estimated by Forestry Sector Master Plan of 15.1 million m³. Other studies have also given somewhat similar estimates. Current consumption of wood as well as its estimated demand are given in Table 3 and 4 respectively.

Table 3 – Consumption of wood in Pakistan, 1992-93

Source: 

Forestry Sector Master Plan, 1992.
Includes Industrial Fuelwood of 0.204 million m³.

Table 4. Estimated demand for industrial wood-based products by end-use (Thousand cubic metres)

Source: Forestry Sector Master Plan, 1992.