342 



TIMBER RESOURCES FOR AMERICA'S FUTURE 



Forest Industries Are Developing 



Reliable statistics on the Mexican forest indus- 

 tries are also lacking, but these industries occupy- 

 only a minor position in the national economy. 

 In 1953 forestry and the forest-products industries 

 accounted for about 2 percent of the gross national 

 product. 



In general, forest operations are conducted on a 

 modest scale. Tree felling is usually done with ax 

 and handsaw; skidding is ordinarily done with 

 horses, mules, or oxen. Only on the Yucatan 

 Peninsula are tractors regularly used for skidding. 

 Ordinarily logs are transported from forest to mill 

 bv truck. 



Sawmills Are Locally Important 



It is estimated that 170 sawmills operate in 

 Mexico, producing in 1951 some 530 million board - 

 feet of lumber. In addition possibly 100 million 

 board-feet or more was handsawn in that year, 

 chiefly for railway crossties. Three Mexican mills 

 use handsaws; all others use circular saws. The 

 band mills and a few of the larger circular mills are 

 reasonably modern and efficient and can produce 

 lumber meeting export specifications. Most of the 

 other mills are not so well equipped, and are unable 

 to produce well-sawn lumber. The largest band 

 mill has a daily capacity of more than 100,000 

 board-feet, and the circular mills produce an aver- 

 age of about 10,000 board-feet daily. A few mills 

 have dry kilns, and most of the lumber is air dried 

 briefly before it is marketed. Ordinarily lumber is 

 graded only when it is exported. Currently pine 

 lumber export accounts for 58 percent of the value 

 of all forest products exported (including nonwood 

 forest products). 



It is reported that five or six United States- 

 owned but Mexican-staffed sawmills are now oper- 

 ating in the States of Chihuahua and Sonora and 

 are exporting the sawn lumber under license 

 through Laredo, Tex., and other border towns. 

 Little is known regarding the size and ownership of 

 these mills, but their concession areas are known 

 to be on private land. It is doubtful if, under 

 present regulations governing the operation of 

 foreign-owned enterprises in Mexico, new United 

 States timber concessions will be opened. The 

 Mexican Government appears to favor the estab- 

 lishment of domestically controlled processing 

 plants and the export of such finished forest 

 products as furniture, for example. 



Pulp and Paper Mills Partially Meet 

 National Needs 



Of the 25 mills involved in the production of 

 pulp and paper, 15 produce paper only, 6 produce 

 paper and mechanical piilp, 3 produce paper and 

 chemical pulp and 1 produces paper and both 

 types of pulp. Annual capacity of the industry is 

 reported to total about 240,000 short tons of paper. 

 In 1953, production was estimated to be 132,000 

 tons of paper; consumption was roughlv estimated 

 at 265,000 tons. The miport of 73,000 tons of 

 newsprint in 1953 approximately accounts for the 

 total consumption of that item. Of this 74 per- 

 cent came from Canada, 12 percent from the 

 United States, 12 percent from Finland and 2 per- 

 cent from other European countries. Some pulp 

 was also imported, especially bleached and dis- 

 solving pulps. The chief reason why pulp and 

 paper production is so far below capacity is that 

 the industry is concentrated in and near Mexico 

 City, where raw material supplies are now verj^ 

 scarce. It is anticipated that by 1965 the demand 

 for paper and board may be 600,000 tons. 



Plywood Production Is Increasing 



Seven major plywood plants now operate in 

 Mexico and in 1950 produced some 65 million 

 square feet of plywood, %-mch basis. Three of 

 these plants are in the pine region, three in the 

 tropical region, and one in Mexico City. A 

 number of smaller mills produce small quantities 

 of plywood, and also veneer for baskets, boxes, 

 and crates. Construction plywood accounts for 

 the bulk of the Mexican production, but the pro- 

 duction of decorative plywood for furniture and 

 paneling is increasing. Pine and oak are com- 

 monly used for construction plywood, and ma- 

 hogany, Spanish cedar, and prima vera for decora- 

 tive plywood. Plywood exports, chiefly of Span- 

 ish cedar, were more than 8 million square feet 

 in 1950. The United States is the principal 

 buyer. 



Wood Is Widely Used for Fuel 



Wood fuel, largely in the form of charcoal rather 

 than wood, is the basic household fuel in Mexico. 

 The volume of wood cut annually to meet this 

 need is not known but may be conservatively 

 estimated at about 260 million cubic feet. This is 

 believed to be about 40 percent of the total utilized 

 cut of timber. Charcoal is made by primitive 

 and wasteful methods in crude, earth-covered 

 mounds. Much of the timber converted to 

 charcoal would be far more valuable if otlierwise 

 utilized. 



