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Production grading

12% sawlog-grade

The split of harvested volume across log grades — sawlog and veneer, pulpwood and chip, and residue — set by each stem’s diameter, straightness and defect. On a 10-year pulp rotation the premium fraction is inherently small.

Worked example · Harvest volume by log grade
12% sawlog Pulp / chip · 80% Sawlog / veneer · 12% Residue / bark · 8%
Harvest volume by log grade
The benchmark

Short-rotation WA blue gum is grown as a pulpwood crop; small stem diameter and growth stress keep sawlog and veneer recovery low, so the great majority of volume grades to export woodchip.

FWPA ↗
What it signals

Grade is where biology meets both price and permanence: higher grades earn more at the mill and, downstream, decide how long the carbon stays locked away. A rising sawlog share signals larger, cleaner stems — and moves carbon from short-lived to long-lived storage.

Data required to calculate
Log volume by gradeTotal harvested volume

Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses, and keeps the figure current automatically.

How to improve it
01

Grow larger, cleaner stems — longer rotations lift sawlog recovery.

02

Prune and thin selectively to raise stem form and diameter.

03

Direct the best butt logs to their highest-value grade at harvest.

Questions & answers

What is production grading?

The split of harvested volume across log grades — sawlog and veneer, pulpwood and chip, and residue — set by each stem’s diameter, straightness and defect. On a 10-year pulp rotation the premium fraction is inherently small.

What data do you need to calculate production grading?

You need: Log volume by grade (m³), Total harvested volume (m³). Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses and keeps the figure current automatically.

What is a good production grading benchmark?

Short-rotation WA blue gum is grown as a pulpwood crop; small stem diameter and growth stress keep sawlog and veneer recovery low, so the great majority of volume grades to export woodchip.

How do you improve production grading?

Grow larger, cleaner stems — longer rotations lift sawlog recovery. Prune and thin selectively to raise stem form and diameter. Direct the best butt logs to their highest-value grade at harvest.

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