In 2020 these costs varied between 764 and 823 EUR/ha and the year before between 705 and 860 EUR/ha. Average costs of forest regeneration include expenditure on soil preparation, small sapling expenses and planting costs. Forestry and wood products represent one of Latvia's most important sectors for business and exports.
The overall growth in the average forest regeneration and tending costs is promoted by higher labour costs and prices of seedlings as well as mechanized forest planting (as costs per unit are higher than in manual planting).
The average forest tending costs, which include agro-technical tending of forest and tending of young growths, constituted 304–330 EUR/ha in 2021.
Compared to 2020, in 2021 the average harvesting costs of one cubic meter of timber increased in both final and intermediate felling. Wood cutting in the intermediate felling is performed by sampling trees, therefore total harvesting costs in this felling type are higher than in final felling where almost all trees are cut. Compared to 2020 costs in final felling have gone up by 7.2 % and constituted 18.6 EUR/m3. In intermediate felling (thinning, reconstructive felling, and sanitary clear felling), costs have risen by 4.5 %, reaching 23.0 EUR/m3. The total harvesting costs in final felling and intermediate felling are formed by labour, transportation, and machinery costs.
