PRICES OF TIMBER IS CLIMBING
Prices of wood (timber supply) rose in the second quarter compared with the first quarter. Sawlogs and pulpwood prices rose by 3 percent and 7 respectively According to recent statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency (Skogsstyrelsen). When comparing the second quarter of 2010 and the same quarter of 2009 prices for sawlogs rose by 20 percent and pulpwood prices by 10 percent. Read more
Rail Time Indicators A Review of Key Economic Trends in Forest, lumber, wood and Pulp and paper july 2010 released. Read more
American Forest and Paper Association President and CEO Donna Harman today issued the following statement regarding the introduction of the bill introduced by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss, which would eliminate duplicative regulation on the use of pesticides.
“I applaud Chairman Lincoln and Ranking Member Chambliss for introducing this bill, which promotes healthy forests, effective forest management, and prevention of invasive species and pests outbreaks through reasonable and safe use of pesticides without costly, duplicative regulations. Read more
Södra may be involved in a debate on the environment outside of Tasmania Australian news program "Rapport" reports in the Swedish Television. In Tasmania, one company is now building the world's largest pulp factory and Södra wants to cooperate. Construction plans have upset many people in Tasmania since the island also has valuable and ancient forest. The debate has raged for more than five years and divided the population into two camps. Some hope for new jobs, but many are afraid forest and natural resources will be destroyed. Read more
The state forest owners who had their forests destroyed during the storm last week Asta Finnish TV YLE reports. Compensation is based on the Law on Financing Sustainable Forestry. The state will account for between 10 and 35 percent of spending the foresters will do in planting new forests. Agriculture and Forestry Ministry will on average pay out 500 Euro per hectare. The storm which swept over Finland during the night between Thursday and Friday last week dropped an estimated 1000 hectares of forest, or one million cubic meters of trees.
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NewPage Corporation (NewPage) today announced its results of operations for the second quarter of 2010. Net sales were $890 million in the second quarter of 2010 compared to $736 million in the second quarter of 2009, an increase of $154 million, or 21 percent. The increase in net sales resulted primarily from higher sales volumes, partially offset by lower average paper prices during the quarter. Net sales in the second quarter of 2009 were affected by decreased advertising spending and magazine and catalog circulation that was largely attributable to general economic factors and inventory reductions by customers.
NewPage, together with two other U.S. coated paper producers and the United Steelworkers Union, continues to pursue the antidumping and countervailing duty cases filed last year against Chinese and Indonesian imports of certain coated paper. Read more
Swedish media write that Timber prices are increasing, but there are both winners and losers when the wood from Swedish forests are becoming more expensive. For several years the price of timber fell. But today the forest is not just boards and paper pulp, biofuel is a growing percentage. And that could mean a new trend in timber prices. Read more
Norske Skog reported gross operating earnings (EBITDA) of NOK 275 million in the second quarter of 2010, equal to the first quarter but NOK 293 million lower than the same period in 2009.
“All parts of the organisation are contributing, but we have to acknowledge that the second-quarter results are far below an acceptable level of profitability. Further debt reduction remains a top priority, and we are planning several additional initiatives in 2010,” says CEO Sven Ombudstvedt. Read more
Forest machinery manufacturer Logset (www.logset.com) in Finland has received a significant order from Chile reported the Finnish public service television YLE. Logset will deliver two 18-ton forwarders and a number of harvester for a eucalyptus plantation in southern Chile. The deal also includes maintenance and user training, creation of spare parts inventory and installation of the harvester.
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Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc. announced that its board of directors authorized a new $200 million share repurchase program. The program authorizes the company, at its own discretion, to periodically buy back shares of its outstanding common stock with open-market purchases as market conditions warrant. Read more
