Assesment of forest products market potential as a basis for forest sector development in the Jablanica District

One of the main tasks of marketing research is the assessment of market potential. The aim of this research was to analyze the dynamics of selling and buying of wood and nonwood forest products (NWFPs) within the analyzed enterprises in the Jablanica District. The purpose of this research was to examine the possibilities for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) directed towards a sustainable use of forest products in the area of the Jablanica District. The subject of this research is: purchased and placed quantities in the analyzed enterprises, as well as the prices that were realized for the products, with special emphasis on commercially important mushrooms. The research was conducted in the territory of Jablanica and it included five enterprises engaged in the purchasing, processing and sale of NWFPs and the Forest Estate (FE) “Forest” Leskovac. The purchase of raw forest fruits and herbs had a growing trend (+ 17.8%) in the 2006-2013 period. The average annual growth rate (AAGR) of sales was 3.4% for medicinal plants and 30.6% for mushrooms. The AAGR of NWFPs export was + 32.6%. The placement of beech wood assortments (K class) recorded a purchase AAGR of app. + 12.7%. In 2013, it was found that the NWFPs with the highest market value were: blueberry, dried boletus and chanterelle. In 2013, their total gross revenue in the domestic market amounted to 82.3 million RSD, whereas the total gross revenue of the analyzed beech wood assortments was 87 million RSD. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 37008: Održivo gazdovanje ukupnim potencijalima šuma u Republici Srbiji i br. TP 31041: Šumski zasadi u funkciji povećanja pošumljenosti Srbije