The ban on cutting, using, and selling forest resources has been extended for ten more years, with the exception of pine trees.
A decree branded as "confusing"by industry representatives, extends the logging ban in the country until 2026, for the species set out in Article 1 of Law No. 585.
2016-2017 forecast: 1.6 million hectares in cropland, cattle slaughter at 795,000 head and milk production raging between 275 million and 300 million gallons.
The Plan for Production, Consumption and Trade in the 2016-2017 Cycle includes details of the Nicaraguan government's projections for the agricultural, livestock, poultry, aquaculture and forestry sectors for the current year and the next.
In Nicaragua getting the paperwork required for cutting down a tree on a piece of land where construction works will be carried out means having to stop the project for months.
Since the logging ban was introduced in Nicaragua, builders have to apply for permits to cut down trees on the land which is to be cleared. The fact is that this process, which involves having to comply with planting and ensuring growth of 10 trees for every one which is cut down, takes up to 5 months.
African palm, coffee, pineapple, bamboo, cocoa and forestry are the categories that the Nicaraguan government is promoting as investment opportunities in the Caribbean coast.
Noting that deforested areas are those that could house African palm plantations, Alvaro Baltodano, presidential delegate for investment and exports, noted that African palm is now being planted in 10 thousand acres of the Nicaraguan Caribbean, as part of a project that aims to plant 20 thousand acres.
The government has made a distinction between the exploitation of natural forests and forest plantations, and has lifted the ban on transporting and exporting wood from the latter.
An article on Elnuevodiario.com.ni reports that "... The government has withdrawn the ban on transporting and exporting forest products by reforesters in the country ... Salvador Mayorga, president of the Association of Reforestation in Nicaragua (Confor), said at the end of the afternoon yesterday that the government informed the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) of the decision to suspend this measure for forestry plantations. "
The national plan for restoration and reforestation will allocate $23.5 million to restoration activities in mangroves and wetlands, zones for water recharging and renewal of coffee and cocoa plantations.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources:
Areas to intervene:
Ahuachapán South Apaneca Ilamatepec Intervention 2016 -2017
Forestry businesses are opposed to the government's decision to suspend logging in the northern part of the country and attributed the measure to unjustified pressure from environmental groups.
Entrepreneurs from Nueva Segovia stated that the government's action will be counterproductive for economic activity in the area, where forest areas have been maintained under appropriate conditions and without pests such as weevils, thanks to the cutting and reforestation works they claim to be doing.
An announcement has been made of a visit by a trade delegation of Spanish companies specializing in agricultural machinery, on April 18 and 19.
The Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Guatemala informed Prensalibre.com that a trade mission of Spanish business people will be visiting the country on April 18 and 19. It will be formed of 15 entrepreneurs from eight Spanish firms belonging to the Spanish Association of Agricultural Machinery.
The Ministry of Agriculture ordered the measure due to an increase of the pest in Guatemalan forests, in order to have more resources to combat it.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA) in Guatemala declared a state of sanitary emergency due to a significant increase in pine weevils in the country, and the threat posed by the scourge of this species in the coniferous forests of Honduras, reported Prensalibre.com.
A bill seeks to exempt from land tax and real estate transfer tax, farms where more than half of of the land is devoted to reforestation.
From a statement issued by the National Assembly of Panama:
In order to establish incentives and regulate the activity of reforestation in Panama to preserve the environment, a bill was presented to the plenary session on Thursday.
The Probosque law passed by Congress extends incentives to protect forests and controlled production.
From a statement issued by the Guatemalan Exporters Association (Agexport):
The Commission of furniture manufacturers and forest products at AGEXPORT, COFAMA, and the Guatemalan Association of Exporters, AGEXPORT are motivated by the good news of the approval of Law to Promote the Establishment, recovery, restoration, management, production and protection of forests -PROBOSQUE-.
In 2014 1.017.000 cubic meters of roundwood timber were processed, of which 78% came from forest plantations, 20% from land in use and agriculture, and 2% from forests.
From a summary of the study by the National Forestry Office (ONF):
As part of the results revealed in this report, it is estimated that the industry of primary wood processing, in both stationary and portable plants, processed 1,017,000 cubic meters of roundwood (m3-r).
The Nicaraguan Forestry Institute is preparing a bill which proposes giving monetary incentives to small producers with plantations of 1-10 hectares.
This measure seeks to benefit more than 3000 SMEs which sell timber produced in their plantations. Large companies fall outside this law, because they are already covered by the Tax Concentration Act.
Entrepreneurs in the timber industry are complaining that excessive regulation and high production costs are preventing them from exploiting the productive capacity of the sector.
Today, three quarters of total wood consumption is grown in the country and the rest is supplied by imports, however, "... Regulations mean that only a small percentage of the productive capacity of Costa Rica is used. "
Entrepreneurs from Chile and Central America will be gathering together in San Jose from November 5th to 7th to explore business opportunities in the wood sector.
The event entitled 'Business Meeting on Forestry and Timber in Central American and the Caribbean' is being organized by the Trade Commission of Chile in Costa Rica (ProChile) and is expected to draw more than 20 entrepreneurs and exporters with the aim of striking deals with Central American countries.