While timber prices in the East-South US were a bit more volatile than average prices across the South, prices were fairly stable overall, said Forest2Markt March 31. The combination of continued wet and severe winter weather in areas of the US South is primarily responsible for the price fluctuations between regions. Pine sawtimber prices saw the least movement, up 0.5 per cent in the East, down 1 per cent in the Mid and flat in the West over the last reporting period of 2013. The Southwide average was also flat at US$25.40 per ton.
Prices were 4 per cent higher than the Southwide average in the East, 5 per cent lower than average in the Mid region and nearly at average in the West. There has been little upward pressure on prices.
Pine Chip-n-Saw prices were slightly more volatile, up 3 per cent in the East and Mid regions and down almost 2 per cent in the West. The Southwide average was US$15.69 per ton, up 1.6 per cent from the two-month period that closed 2013. Prices were 13 percent higher than the Southwide aver age in the East, 3 per cent below average in the Mid region and 10 per cent below average in the West.