Price of wood increasing?

[larkim]

I've seen / read various bits that indicate that the price of wood is forecast to increase by up to 20% this year. How can that be the case?

Matt

[Adrian]

larkim gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

It don't grow on trees, y'know.

[dom]

I would imagine mostly sterling exchange rates and transport costs. Much of our softwood comes from Scandinavia and Siberia, and hardwood from South America & the South Pacific.

[Cash]

matthew.lar,

The trees are growing taller, that's why the price is increasing!

[Replying through dom, as I have killfiled all gmail and google mail posts to reduce the spam a bit]

[Tim Lamb]

The story I was given related to the cold winter delaying ice melt in the Baltic and holding up shipments from Finland etc.

Of course, devaluing the UKP hasn't helped.

regards

[Rod]

I went to a timber place on Saturday to arrange a delivery - the chap there expressly pointed out the sheet products on one side claiming they had gone up over 20% since January. Also claimed they were desperately keeping prices down hence being very firm on delivery charges. So some confirmation of what is happening, albeit no explanation.

[NT]

Recession -> less spending -> cost per item has to go up for businesses to stay afloat.

NT

[1501]

It it 'cos it's soaring/sawing?

Coat already donned.

[Andy Champ]

Have you _seen_ the Euro-sterling rate recently? In the middle of 2007 it was about 1.5; it's now 1.1 something. It is feeding through.

Andy

[The Medway Handyman]

Bugger, beat me to it!

[Adam Aglionby]

Bio mass burners, the next wind farm problem, currently loads of wood burning power stations going up or proposed, if they are all built 50% of Scotlands timber crop could go straight up in smoke, plus loads of carbon unfriendly imported timber cause we dont have enough.

But with your non fossil fuel subsidy makes money even if it dosent save the planet.

Smart money is buying old mill buildings and putting in water turbines....

Cheers Adam

[Bob Martin]

It's been about 1.1x since November 2008.

[dom]

That's timber unsuitable for use in construction or joinery.

If it was suitable - they'd sell it for that - as it pays much more.

Wood for burning is almost exclusively British hardwoods - so it's processed into rather expensive stuff for fine joinery (most houses don't have a whole lot of oak/chestnut/birch in them) - and what can't be used for that - is burnt.

[JimK]

=A3STG is on the rise currently (and marginally) - nearing 1.16 at mo.....

JimK

[The Natural Philosopher]

Correction: The Euro is about to fall off the chart when Greece fails to cough up for its 'Even Gordon didn't Marx-and-Spender like these guys' moment..

The pound remains as devalued as the rest of HMS Britannic.

[NT]

Almost any wood can be turned into chipboard, OSB, and I expect MDF. So if large amounts get burnt, was all that just being disposed of now? If not, the price of those products go up.

NT

[JimK]

are you buying or selling then?

(your correction not necessary - just a brief look at the =A3 vs $ and =A3 vs Euro graphs - both on the rise...)

Cheers JimK

[Adam Aglionby]

Your thinking crackling logs in your inglenook, this is different scale...

225 MW at Hunterston, site of 2 nuclear plants and 4 off 100 MW plants at Forth Ports owned sites with 100M high stacks, plus a few more.

[The Natural Philosopher]

..wait..and see..

[The Natural Philosopher]

Compared with a couple of Gigawatts needed..

The answer is to kill fat people and burn them for fuel.