Please find attached for your information, a PowerPoint presentation (in two formats - one for presentations and one for photocopying) which gives an analysis of the timber sales tonnages for the 2009 financial year upon which FSA's levies were based.

The economic downturn, that really began to bite from September 2008 onwards had, as one would expect, a negative impact on the abovementioned timber sales.  The main points to note are as follows:

• Tonnage sales of 14 261000 tons were 638000 tons (-4.3%) below the budget of 14900 000 tons and a massive 2 398000 tons (-14.4%) less than those in 2008.
• Sales across all species and products were down in comparison to 2008.
• In terms of sales per species, the biggest decline was experienced by eucalyptus with sales being over 1.7 mt or 19.6% down on last year.
• In terms of sales per product, the biggest decrease was that of pulpwood which dropped over 1.9 mt (-15.5%) on last year's figure.
• Year on year, the biggest decline was that of Euc Pulpwood which dropped 1.4 mt (-17.7%).
• Income generated from these lower than budgeted for sales of R17850000 was some R1222000 less than budget and R55000 less than the income generated in 2008.