Russia occupies one of the leading positions in timber reserves. Given the qualitative and quantitative varieties of raw materials, an important place in the country's economy is acquired by such an industry as the woodworking industry.
It is very difficult to at least briefly list all the products manufactured at its enterprises: matches, furniture, sleepers, wooden utensils, skis, musical instruments, lumber and much more. In a word, the woodworking industry produces everything that can be obtained from wood through production or processing. These are glued plywood, fiberboards, a variety of carpentry, etc.
The woodworking industry in Russia has a long history. Its roots go back to the time of subsistence farming. Gradually, handicraft began to develop into production. And already at the beginning of the 18th century, the first enterprises in the field of woodworking appeared: sawmills, furniture factories, production of matches, etc.
In the USSR, the woodworking industry in the first five years begins its active growth. Throughout its vast territory, enterprises are being created that are concentrated in areas of major raw material bases, along the banks of large rivers and at rafting points. That is how giant factories were built in Yeniseisk, Karelia, the Far East, etc.
Today, a scientific approach is used in wood processing, numerous research institutes have been created that study the properties of wood, optimize its storage conditions, and develop new processing and drying technologies. Simple mechanical processing today is completely superseded by chemical-mechanical.
About a third of all wood mined in Russia is exported. In recent years, the government has been trying to stimulate the deep processing of this raw material inside the country, thereby achieving a reduction in the export of round timber - untreated timber. That is why export duties for each cubic meter were increased several times.
And this policy soon yielded results. The woodworking industry is experiencing a new growth: domestic enterprises began to engage in material processing, which should positively affect the country's economy: tax revenues are increasing, new jobs are being created, etc.
The export of already processed lumber is growing, the main consumers of which are those countries that, due to their geographical location, do not have large forest reserves: China, Japan, Egypt, Iran, etc.
Along with paper and pulp, the woodworking industry itself is a structural unit or light industry.
The paper industry is the production of paper, pulp, cardboard, as well as products from them.
This industry is quite material intensive, because about 5-6 cubic meters of wood are needed for one ton of pulp. In addition, a lot of water is used in its production. That is why the paper industry is located near large sources of water.
Basically they are oriented in the European part of Russia. These are the Kondopoga and Serzh combine in Karelia, Pravdinsky and Mari PPM and others.
Despite the fact that our country has the largest forest resource in the world - about 80 billion cubic meters, and its pulp and paper industry should have been the engine of the economy, the technical condition of this industry and its share in the economy leave much to be desired. For example, production capacities are used at a maximum of 50%.
That is why the state is interested in the development of this industry, and the programs it develops are designed to stimulate its growth.