Diagnóstico do setor madeireiro da cidade de Patos - Paraíba.

Abstract

Diagnosis of the timber sector in the city of Patos - Paraíba. Since a long time ago wood is used for several reasons such as defense, fire production, building, and canoe and ship construction. The use of wood increased, but tree planting did not occur in the same magnitude. The owners of wood selling stores and joiners deal with wood, most of the time in an inadequate way and insufficient knowledge, resulting in economic losses and environmental harm. This study had the objective to evaluate wood utilization and delineate the profile of the economic agents of the forest sector in Patos-PB. Thirty agents of the local forest sector answered a set of objective and subjective questions in order to characterize their individual and collective profiles. The forest sector in Patos is represented by wood selling agents and joiners (furniture, and door&window makers), specially these last ones. Approximately 50% of the interviewed agents rely exclusively on wood selling or joinery, and their activities represent an important component of the productive chain. Native tree species have little participation in the forest sector due to their scarceness and/or legal restrictions imposed for their utilization. Basically, the forest sector in Patos makes use of wood from the north region of Brazil. Thus, there is an urgent need to modernize the forest sector in Patos because it represents the exclusive economic activity of some local families.