FS: Southern Pulpwood Output Continues Decline

Despite a Fastmarkets RISI projection that 2024 will show a 2% gain in overall U.S. pulp and paper wood usage, a report in the Fastmarkets RISI North American Woodfiber & Biomass Markets newsletter on recently released U.S. Forest Service (FS) data for 2023 showed Southern pulpwood production decreased 6% to 139 million green tons. That follows a 5% drop in 2022. Breaking it down, Southern softwood pulpwood in 2023 declined 4% for the year (114 million green tons), while Southern hardwood pulpwood “crashed” and continued a steep decline of 12% to 25 million green tons. Softwood accounted for 82% of the total, with hardwood at 18%.

According to the report, during the past 28 years from a 1997 peak of 201 million green tons Southern pulpwood production has dropped roughly 30%. The reduction reflects 60 million tons gone from the market, enough to equal up to 30 mid-size pulp mills.