Apr 19, 2005. /Lesprom Network/. Bulgaria's timber export fell 50% on the year in 2004 at the expense of furniture export, Genoveva Hristova, executive director of wood and furniture chamber said during the Technomebel furniture exhibition. Due to lack of timber some of the leading furniture makers have relocated production to other countries, the chamber chairman Kalin Simeonov said. The lack of high-quality wood and the fact that forests are state-owned is a major obstacle for the furniture industry. According to data from the forestry management directorate about 5.0 million to 5.5 million cu m of wood from the national forestry fund can be cut down annually while tree felling ranges between 4.5 million and 5.0 million cu m. Illegal logging prosper due to lack of forest guards. The quality of Bulgarian forestry registers a downward trend due to felling of only ripe and high quality wood whereas saplings need at least 50 years to reach age for cutting. A total of 240 exhibitors, 70 of which Bulgarian firms, displayed on a 5,200 sq m in the Technomebel furniture fair, which started on April 15, 2005 in Inter Expo Centre in Sofia. The bulk of foreign participants are from Italy, Germany and Austria.