There are 25 horses at Garå’s horse center in Drammen. Owner Espen Haukeland was unable to obtain chips of the cutter chip type from Norwegian suppliers, and therefore urgently ordered a truckload from Finland. – There was no shavings to raise for so many horses, so in the end I had no choice. I hope it is only a temporary solution. Espen Haukeland has paid 30,000 in freight to get chips from Finland for the horses. Photo: Privat Haukeland says that it was anything but cheap. Shipping alone cost NOK 30,000. – It is a cheap product that is transported in a very expensive way, but it affects the horses if you don’t have a good enough base. Now we got it in the count’s time. Bath and bed for the animals There are several pet owners who struggle to get wood chips for their animals. At Drøbak riding center there are 50 horses. When news visited, there was no wood chips in the courtyard, and general manager Nina Braaten confirms that it is difficult to get hold of the raw material. Nina Braaten has 50 horses at the stable. Immediately it is empty of wood chips. Photo: Veslemøy Prøis / news – Horses must have tiles to stand on for the simple reason that it is both a bed and a toilet. It is not just horses that use wood chips as a substrate. – Chips are used as bedding material for many animals, whether it is chickens, pigs or cows. The farmer uses large quantities of wood chips – several times a day, says Egil Christopher Hoen, deputy chairman of the Norwegian Farmers Association. Egil Christopher Hoen wants the farmers to be prioritized in the fight for the raw material. Photo: Buskerud Bondelag These are the reasons Wood chips are a surplus material that previously had little value. One of the reasons why pet owners have difficulty getting hold of the raw material is that they have had a competition for the wood chips. – The demand for heating pellets for energy has increased greatly. Heating pellets are made from wood chips, and it thus has a higher alternative value. Increased energy prices make heating pellets competitive. At the same time, imports of heating pellets from Russia and Belarus have stopped, says press officer at Felleskjøpet, Sigbjørn Vedled. Another reason is that there is reduced activity in the construction industry, which leads to reduced production, adds Vedled. Wants prioritization The Norwegian Farmers’ Association has received feedback from farmers all over the country that it is more difficult to get hold of wood chips than before. Now they want farmers to be prioritized in the battle for the raw material. Old tiles are removed from the boxes so that the horses have a clean surface. Photo: Veslemøy Prøis / news – We certainly wish there was a system so that the animals get the chips they need to maintain animal welfare. That farmers have some form of prioritisation, says Hoen. Vedled says that Felleskjøpet is working to find solutions. – We are working with alternatives. The challenge is that most of the alternatives can also be used as energy. Empty warehouses Felleskjøpet, Vestfoldmøllene, Hasås and H360 are suppliers of packaged chippings for animal husbandry. All are sold out of stock, and some even have waiting lists. Geir Kamsvåg is a supplier of wood chips. Behind him there should have been over 1,000 bundles of wood chips. Now there are only five left. Photo: Veslemøy Prøis / news Geir Kamsvåg runs H360 and has nine outlets in Norway. In the courtyard at Revetal there were supposed to be over 1,000 bundles of wood chips. Now there are only five left. – I get maybe 40 to 50 phone calls a day where people are screaming for wood chips. I have even received requests from England, Sweden and Iceland, says Kamsvåg. He believes we are facing a tile crisis. – It is only now that we are facing a serious tile crisis. It is empty in several places around the country.
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Shortage of wood chips in Norway – thinks farmers and animals are prioritized – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
