Lesy SR faces rising costs due to ash dieback in eastern Slovakia

The presence of the quarantine pest ash dieback in eastern Slovakia is expected to increase operational costs and potential economic losses for the state enterprise Lesy SR. The infestation is particularly concentrated in the lower Zemplín region, specifically within the districts of Sobrance, Trebišov, and Michalovce under the management of the Vihorlat organizational unit.

Lesy SR has stated that the exact financial impact is currently impossible to calculate, as it depends on the further development of the situation and the total volume of wood requiring sanitation. Additional costs will stem from intensified monitoring, technical and personnel security, the purchase of monitoring tools, and the mandatory harvesting and processing of infected wood. To mitigate the spread, the enterprise is implementing quarantine measures in coordination with the Central Control and Testing Institute in Agriculture, including restrictions on moving ash wood and bark and a ban on artificial ash regeneration in affected zones.