North American lumber production fell a record 20% during 2009 , according to industry newsletter Random Lengths.
Total output for the year was 42.1 billion board feet (2008: 52,968 billion board feet), some 44% below the 2005 peak.
The result was the fourth straight year of production cuts, matching two other periods – 1979-82 and 1988-91.
The US south, America’s biggest lumber producing region saw a 19.7% decrease, while British Columbia, Canada’s largest producer, was 18.5% down.
