Prices & Market Conditions
The effects of COVID-19 were felt across the South in the 2nd Quarter –the first full quarter since the pandemic-driven economic downturn began– with South-wide average stumpage prices declining for all five major products this quarter.
While the common, seasonal trend is for stumpage prices to fall in the 2nd quarter (particularly for the major pine products), the typical quarter-over-quarter (Q/Q) drop was exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Specifically, pine saw timber experienced its largest Q/Q decrease in over eight years and fell to within $0.15 of its 25-year low. Also, pine chip-n-saw experienced its largest Q/Q drop in over a decade, while pine pulpwood fell to its lowest level since 2011