Alberta’s forestry products sector enjoyed improved numbers in the second quarter.
The Alberta Forest Products Association reported on Friday that the value of lumber, panelboard, and pulp and paper products shipped by its members during the three-month period ended June 30 reached $594.1 million. That was up nearly 37 per cent from the same quarter in 2009, when production values were $435 million.
A news release issued by the association attributed this rebound to the recovering economy and the resulting demand for forestry products. Lumber prices also jumped in April and May, although have since declined.
“We’re cautiously optimistic about the future,” said AFPA president and CEO Brady Whittaker. “Prices have declined in the last couple of months, but the stronger year-to-year demand points to a recovery of the industry.”
The second-quarter numbers included $196.7 million for lumber, up 48 per cent from a year earlier; $95.5 million worth of panelboard, up 73 per cent; and $301.9 million in the case of pulp and paper, a 24 per cent decline.
The Alberta Forest Products Association is a non-profit industry organization that represents lumber, panelboard, pulp and paper, and secondary manufacturing wood products companies operating in the province.