Timber price indices published

The Forestry Commission today published the latest figures for the Standing Sales Price Index and the Softwood Sawlog Price Index for Great Britain.

The Standing Sales Price Index measures the average price received per cubic metre of standing sales timber from Forestry Commission sales. The Index is expressed in real terms (1996 prices), and is adjusted for timber size mix using Laspeyres' method.

The Softwood Sawlog Price Index measures the average price received per cubic metre of sawlogs from Forestry Commission sales. The Index is expressed in real terms (1996 prices).

The main findings are:

the Coniferous Standing Sales Price Index for Great Britain was 0.2 per cent higher in real terms in the year to September 2005, compared with the previous year;

the average price per cubic metre overbark standing was £6.58 in nominal terms (£5.31 in 1996 prices) in the year to September 2005; and

the Softwood Sawlog Price Index was 0.7 per cent lower in real terms in the year to September 2005, compared with the previous year.

The First Release "Timber Price Indices" is available on the Forestry Commission website at ww.forestry.gov.uk/statistics. Paper copies are available on request from Jackie Watson at jackie.watson@forestry.gsi.gov.uk; telephone 0131 314 6171.

Further information is available from Michael Thomson in the Forestry Commission's Economics & Statistics Unit: email: statistics@forestry.gsi.gov.uk; telephone: 0131 314 6177.