Economic growth, continued development, and ongoing reforms: results of the forestry sector in 2025

The forestry sector demonstrated record financial performance in 2025. This was announced by the Head of the State Forest Resources Agency, Viktor Smal, during the annual public report held with the participation of Members of Parliament, representatives of ministries, international organizations, the wood-processing business, the environmental community, and forestry sector employees.

«2025 was a year of strong economic growth, development, and continued reforms for the forestry sector. These achievements were made possible thanks to the consistent and systematic work of more than 24,000 forestry sector employees», - emphasized the Head of the Agency.

Caring for forests

• 25.9 thousand hectares (106.2% of the annual plan) of forests were restored;
• 1 billion trees were planted under the President’s «Green Country» program;
• Nearly 19 thousand hectares of forestry land were designated as nature reserve and other protected areas with the approval of the State Forest Resources Agency;

The total forest area under the Agency’s management increased by 100 thousand hectares.

Ensuring economic development of the sector and the country

Compared to 2024, which was also a year of positive economic changes in the sector, the results are significant:

• UAH 30.4 billion (+UAH 6.7 billion) – total volume of products sold;
• UAH 6.9 billion (+UAH 4.4 billion) – net profit of the sector;
• UAH 16.126 billion (+UAH 6.8 billion) – taxes paid by the forestry sector.

These figures represent absolute records in Ukraine since Independence.

Digitalizing the forestry sector

• The Electronic Exporter’s Office has been developed and launched: Ukrainian exporters can quickly and conveniently obtain information on timber and its origin and already comply with the requirements of the European EUDR regulation, which will only come into force in 2027;
• Continued improvement of the Electronic Timber Accounting system, ensuring transparency and strict control in the forestry sector;
• Development of the Unified Digital Forest Data Platform – the Forest Resource Management Geoinformation System.

Advancing on the european integration tack

• For the first time, Ukraine received low-risk country status from the EU under the EUDR regulation, recognizing the effectiveness of reforms and digitalization in the forestry sector;
• The State Forest Resources Agency has been recognized as one of the best-prepared institutions for implementing the EUDR regulation.

Attracting international assistance

A total of €25 million was attracted in 2025 through international projects and technical assistance. This is the strongest indicator of the high level of trust from the international community in forestry sector reforms.

Supporting the hunting sector

• The Strategy for the development of ukraine’s hunting sector until 2035 has been developed and approved;
• Unified Rules for the state accounting of game animals and harvesting volumes have been developed and are pending government approval.

Supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine

• UAH 468.5 million (+UAH 77.4 million compared to 2024) – the value of forest products provided free of charge to support the frontline. In total, this amounts to about 17,000 railcars since the beginning of the full-scale invasion;
• Around 2,400 sector employees are serving in the Armed Forces. Sadly, 208 have been killed, 193 are missing, and 330 have been wounded.

«All the data in this report is not just about numbers. It is about trust – both within the country and from international partners. It is about social responsibility, care, and reliability. And it is also about our shared contribution to Victory. I am grateful to everyone who made this result possible», - concluded Viktor Smal.