Définition
The wood balance assessment represents an attempt to compare the French production of rough timber (that is, when leaving the forest) and external exchanges of rough timber and derivatives of rough timber, so as to evaluate the apparent consumption of this material. The harvest is evaluated based on the annual survey of the "forest harvesting" activity branch (in cubic metres of roundwood). It does not include the home consumption of firewood which is not the subject of an annual estimate.
The "roundwood equivalent" calculation method, which involves introducing (especially for processed wood) non-negligible fictitious imports and exports of waste, prohibits the inclusion in this assessment of real external exchanges of sawmill waste in particular, primarily intended for pulping factories. Variations in stocks in the various processing stages are not taken into account.
Since 1986, the "forest harvesting" branch survey has been the responsibility of the Statistics and forecasting department (SSP) of the ministry in charge of agriculture.
Remarque
Source : service de la statistique et de la prospective (SSP), ministère chargé de l'agriculture (site : http://agreste.agriculture.gouv.fr)