Mississippi’s timber industry is beginning to stabilise, with harvest values just 1.2% down to US$1.06bn this year.
The good news follows the mammoth 17% decreases experienced in 2001.
The total harvested volume was 3% higher in 2002 but prices for pine sawlogs, which make up 60% of the harvest value, were about 5% lower than last year.
Pine log prices have fallen in response to falling Southern pine lumber prices. Producers are pinning much of the blame on the glut of imported Canadian lumber.
