Scotland needs to plant more trees as growth in China and India puts pressure on global timber supplies, an economist has said.

Clive Suckling told a conference on the future of forestry and timber in Scotland that it is important for the country to develop its indigenous industry to meet its own needs. "Scotland's timber industry is small in global terms but extremely successful, and has shown major growth in the last decade, with investment of around £50m a year coming into the sector every year," he said.

Stuart Goodall, chief executive of trade body Confor, said analysis suggested a 'trough' in supply beyond 2040.