Production by China's forestry industry in 2007 was estimated at
1.17 trillion yuan (160 billion U.S. dollars), up 9.85 percent from
a year earlier, said Jia Zhibang, head of the State Forestry
Administration (SFA), on Monday.
Jia predicted that the industry would generate 1.4 trillion yuan
this year, which would put it ahead of the 2010 goal of 1.2
trillion yuan.
Lumber output for 2007 was estimated at 69.7 million cubic
meters and that of fabricated boards totaled 73.7 million cubic
meters.
Total foreign trade of forest products was 57 billion U.S.
dollars.
Jia said that China had established a complete production chain
in the forestry industry, which included products such as lumber,
furniture and grown flowers from state-owned forestry companies,
and sectors such as forestry tourism.
According to the China Green Times, published by the
SFA, China is the top world producer of fabricated boards, wood
flooring, carbon and furniture.
China planted 2.27 billion trees last year on 5.2 million
hectares. Jia said the area of forest plantations in China was the
highest in the world, accounting for almost a third of the world's
total.
(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2008)
