Resumen

CABALLERO DELOYA, Miguel. Historical tendency of the timber production in contemporary Mexico. Rev. mex. de cienc. forestales [online]. 2017, vol.8, n.43, pp.4-26. ISSN 2007-1132.

Along thirty-five years (1953-1988), the annual mean of wood volume production per six-year period of each public administration, kept a steady growth. The highest mean, with a value of 9.37 million round cubic meters, was attained during the public administration of President Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado (1983-1988). After that time, the volume of wood production decreased progressively until the current administration, of President Enrique Peña Nieto. The annual mean production of wood for the first three years of the current presidential period is 5.85 million cubic meters. The production decline occurred during the presidency of Carlos Salinas de Gortari. Factors that have contributed are: a) Forests commercially diminished after decades of intense exploitation; b) Proliferation of illegal forest exploitation; c) Unstable, changeable and long-term lacking forest policies; d) Forest management fragmentation; e) The opening of international trade and f) Limited impact of subsidy policies for the forest sector. A new vision for the Mexican forest policy is needed, such that, without neglecting the environment, may establish solid bases to promote the production and value chain of the forest sector.

Palabras llave : Administration; open trade; illegal exploitation; legislation; forest policy; protectionism.