Comparative cost analysis for bore hole and bark streak tapping methods in resin production from Pinus brutia

ÇAĞLAYAN İ., Kabak Ö., Ucal Sari I.

Agroforestry Systems, vol.99, no.2, 2025 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 99 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s10457-025-01146-3
  • Journal Name: Agroforestry Systems
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, PASCAL, Periodicals Index Online, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Environment Index, Geobase, Veterinary Science Database
  • Keywords: Bark streak tapping, Bore hole tapping, Economic feasibility, Pinus brutia, Resin production
  • Istanbul University Affiliated: No

Abstract

This study assesses the economic and technical feasibility of two resin extraction methods, Bore Hole Tapping (BH) and Bark Streak Tapping (BS), applied to Pinus brutia in the Korudağ Forest, Türkiye. Resin production from 758 trees was analyzed over six months to compare setup costs, operational expenses, labor costs, and yields. Additionally, a feasibility study involving 2500 trees was conducted to evaluate market, technical, and financial aspects. Results show that both methods incur high production costs, making resin production economically unviable under current market conditions. The BH method is particularly unfeasible due to significant initial investments and high operating costs. In contrast, the BS method, with lower costs, approaches viability at historically higher resin prices. Sensitivity analyses suggest that the BS method could become feasible with a significant rise in market prices. However, resin production from Pinus brutia remains economically unfeasible at present.