Government aims to draw more value from Czech-harvested wood

The Czech government has discussed a new strategy aimed at making better use of wood harvested in the country, Czech Television reported on Sunday. Under the plan, wood produced in Czechia would be increasingly processed directly in the country and the rules for constructing wooden buildings would be simplified.

Environmentalists complain that at present wood harvested in Czechia is often exported in a raw state. Greenpeace activists told Czech TV that they had tracked wood by GPS and found that even valuable varieties often ended up being used in an inadequate manner.

The minister of agriculture, Marek Výborný, said his officials were planning a marketing drive presenting wood as the material of the future.