Forestry jobs get €100million boost

THE forestry industry is to get a massive boost worth €100-150million to safeguard up to 450,000 jobs.

Although the industry is the third largest in Europe it is amongst the least productive. France uses more than 10million cubic metres of wood a year but imports almost all of it.

Now President Sarkozy has announced a strategic fund which will boost an industry with revenues of €40billion a year and which directly employs 170,000.

The move is based on funds already in place to help the aeronautical, automobile and soon, biotechnology industries.

Forestry will also benefit from a change to the tax regulations regarding wood fuels, similar to the aid for wind energy.

The industry, particularly in the south-west, has been hard hit since storm Klaus in January, which knocked down 685,000 hectares of forest.

Sarkozy's moves will help create new forests and also fund improvements to sawmills which have not been able to invest in new technology.

Photo:Przykuta