Timber Price Indices published

The latest National Statistics on Timber Price Indices produced by the Forestry Commission were released today, 12 May 2011, in accordance with the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

Timber Price Indices are based on Forestry Commission sales, and consist of the Coniferous Standing Sales Price Index and the Sawlog Price Index. They present data to March 2011 for Great Britain.

The key points from the latest release are:

• the average price for coniferous standing sales was £13.70 per cubic metre overbark standing in nominal terms in the year to March 2011;
• the Coniferous Standing Sales Price Index for Great Britain was 34.8 per cent higher in real terms in the year to March 2011, compared with the previous year; and
• the Softwood Sawlog Price Index was 0.1 per cent higher in real terms in the six months to March 2011, compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.

These statistics will next be updated in November 2011 (with data to September 2011) and May 2012 (with data to March 2012).

The full release is available from www.forestry.gov.uk/statistics, and further information is available from Jackie Watson in the Forestry Commission’s Economics & Statistics Unit, tel:  0131 314 6171; e-mail:  statistics@forestry.gsi.gov.uk.

MEDIA CONTACT: Charlton Clark, 0131 314 6500