Timber vies with poultry for being the state s top income producing commodity. Prices have dropped somewhat going into the spring, a seasonable fluctuation usual in the industry, but are still considered good.
Prices usually bottom out in mid-summer, and then start moving up again in the fall.
Prices for standing timber, pulp wood and saw timber are much higher than they used to be, and I think it is reasonable to expect those prices to be sustained, Bullard said. If we sustain good markets, there are a lot of new opportunities for private landowners to make money growing trees. This also contributes to the economy by way of providing increased raw materials for industrial production. Higher prices mean tree farmers can spend more on intensive cultivation practices to increase the amount of yield per acre. Bullard said intensive production practices are in common use by big timber companies, but haven t been as widely adopted by small private landowners.