Brazil’s forest production reaches record BRL 47.9 billion in 2025

Brazil's forest production reached a record BRL 47.9 billion in 2025, marking the highest ever recorded in the country, which represents a 6.7 percent increase compared to the previous year. The statistics were released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) on September 24, 2025. This figure includes both natural and planted forests, encompassing both silviculture and extractive activities.

Silviculture, which refers to production from planted areas, experienced a significant 8.6 percent growth from 2024 to 2025, reaching BRL 41 billion. In contrast, plant extraction, involving originally natural green areas, saw a decline of 3.1 percent, totaling BRL 6.9 billion. Historically, the balance between these two sectors has alternated, but since the late 1990s, silviculture has consistently outperformed extractive activities, accounting for 85.6 percent of forest production in 2025, leaving only 14.4 percent for plant extraction.

The report notes that the economic value of silviculture has grown by 165 percent since 2019, a trend attributed to technological advancements. In 2025, Brazil's planted forests covered 10.4 million hectares (104,000 km²), with 78.6 percent of this area dedicated to eucalyptus. Eucalyptus trees, which mature in about seven to eight years, are primarily used for cellulose production, making Brazil the world's leading producer and exporter of cellulose, a role it has held since 2022, surpassing Canada.

Cellulose production in Brazil reached 22.2 million metric tons in 2025, up 12.7 percent from the previous year, generating a value of USD 10.2 billion, a 3.9 percent decrease over the same period. Global market factors such as global oversupply, slowing Chinese consumption, increased inventories, and exchange rate changes due to the appreciation of the real contributed to the price decline of cellulose.

Despite the drop in cellulose value, Brazil remains a significant exporter of the commodity. In 2025, it was the eighth-largest exporter globally, with petroleum, soybeans, and iron ore leading the export list. Food products contributed BRL 2.2 billion to the forest production value, predominantly from açaí (251,000 metric tons), with açaí production mainly coming from the Northern state of Pará.

Yerba mate secured the second position with BRL 562.3 million in production value, with 88.4 percent of the harvested yerba mate originating from Paraná, in South Brazil.