Alberta’s forestry sector relied on strong lumber and panelboard prices to build a profitable quarter.
The Alberta Forest Products Association said the combined values of lumber, panelboard, and pulp and paper manufactured by its member companies during the three months ended Sept. 30 totaled $615 million.
That was up $66 million or 12 per cent from the same period last year, and $33 million or six per cent from the second quarter of 2012.
“These numbers are great news for communities in Alberta that depend on the forest industry,” said AFPA president and CEO Brady Whittaker in a news release. “The industry is in a healthy and sustainable position.”
On a product-by-product basis, lumber posted the greatest gain. The 763 million board feet produced in the third quarter by AFPA members, including secondary manufacturers, marked a six per cent increase from the third quarter of 2011.
But with prices up sharply, the total value of lumber products sold hit $248 million — a $75 million or 43 per cent jump from the previous year.
In the case of panelboard, production hit 265 million square feet in the third quarter of 2012.
That was down three per cent from the same period in 2011, but higher prices allowed sales values to jump $24 million, or 36 per cent, to $92 million.
Pulp and paper was the one area that experienced reduced values in the third quarter.
Total production of 393,800 metric tonnes was up four per cent from a year earlier, but softer prices resulted in values slipping by $33 million, or 11 per cent, to $275 million.
The Alberta Forest Products Association represents lumber, panelboard, pulp and paper, and secondary manufacturing wood products companies operating in Alberta.