Misiones timber industry warns of production halts due to El Niño

Small and medium-sized timber enterprises in Misiones, Argentina, are warning of potential production halts and staff suspensions between November and January. The industry is currently facing significant economic pressure due to declining sales, low profitability, and rising operational costs, particularly electricity tariffs.

Representatives from the Association of Forest Producers, Industrialists, and Merchants of Misiones and Northern Corrientes (APICOFOM) met with the Ministry of Labor and the Woodworkers Union (SOIMP) to discuss these challenges. They expressed concern that the El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to bring heavy rains and storms during the final quarter of the year, will further disrupt the supply of raw materials and exhaust the remaining margins companies have to maintain employment.