THE price of timber has increased again in the UK with softwood sawlog going for around £80 per cubic metre.
Logs are now being sold for considerably more than they were in nominal terms this time last year, with the cost having risen from £49.76 in September 2020 to £79.39 just 12 months later.
READ MORE: Time for Timber: COP26 leaders told to recognise need for wood in construction
This 61.8 per cent increase was more than the 47.9 per cent coniferous standing sales saw during the same period and ahead of small roundwood, which fell by 1.9 per cent. However, the latter still recorded an increase on March 2021's figures.
The statistics come from Forest Research's latest Timber Price Indices, which was published last week and is based on sales by Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland and Natural Resources Wales.
With a price of £40.12 as of September 2021, coniferious standing sales - which includes all species, tree sizes, working practices and conditions - rose from £31.03 in March 2021 and £26.78 in September 21.
The most recent price is also 383.1 per cent more than 20 years ago in nominal terms.
For small roundwood, the price of items such as chipwood, pulpwood and woodfuel rose between March and September 2021 from £34.95 to £37.92 but this was less than the £38.10 of the previous year.
Timber has been on the agenda recently with trade association Timber Development UK telling world leaders gathered at the COP26 climate change summit to recognise the pressing need to use wood in construction.
To view the full results and read more about the methodology, visit here.
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