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The stumpage prices below are the statewide averages and are intended to demonstrate the general trends in the market. The current value of timber can differ greatly across parishes, species, tree quality, market access and other factors. Forest landowners considering a timber sale are encouraged to contact a consulting forester for assistance. Average stumpage prices for the six major products for the fourth quarter of 2022 were reported as follows:
Average stumpage prices*($/ton) Q4/2022
| Q4/2022 | Q3/2022 | Q4/2021 | Q4/Q3 % Change | Q4/Q4 % Change | |
| Pine Sawtimber | 26.90 | 25.77 | 26.05 | 4.38 | 3.26 |
| Oak Sawtimber | 43.99 | 42.67 | 44.25 | 3.09 | -0.59 |
| Mixed Hardwood Sawtimber | 33.67 | 33.69 | 35.73 | -0.06 | -5.77 |
| Pine Chip-n-Saw | 20.93 | 16.93 | 19.88 | 23.63 | 5.28 |
| Pine Pulpwood | 8.36 | 7.72 | 9.09 | 8.29 | -8.03 |
| Hardwood Pulpwood | 9.65 | 7.57 | 9.48 | 27.48 | 1.79 |
Compiled by Jinggang Guo.
*Oak sawtimber includes both red oak and white oak species. The sawtimber and pulpwood price data included in this newsletter are published with permission from TimberMart-South Athens, Georgia. Contact TimberMart-South via email at tmart@timbermart-south.com.
— This document is intended for use by forestry stakeholders of Louisiana. The source of these prices is proprietary in nature.
Due to the seasonality, five major timber prices went up in the fourth quarter of 2022. Sawtimber prices increased from $25.77/ton to $26.90/ton. Oak sawtimber prices increased by 3.09%, ending at $43.99/ton. Mixed hardwood sawtimber prices remained relatively the same compared to the previous quarter and ended the quarter at $33.67/ton. Pine chip-n-saw prices trended upward with a 23% increase and reached $20.93 per ton. The hardwood pulpwood price saw the biggest increase by 27% to an average of $9.65/ton. The pine pulpwood price had a moderate increase of 9.1% from $7.72/ton to $8.36/ton.
Since the beginning of 2022, mortgage rates continued to climb, which had a negative impact on the housing market. This in turn led to a decline in the lumber market. The two-by-four lumber prices returned to the pre-pandemic level in late 2022. In 2023, the weak demand for lumber is likely to continue to hamper the timber demand as the lumber industry is a major consumer of timber. With the economic uncertainty and oversupply issue, state-level timber prices are expected to remain flat or trend downward in early 2023.
