Mississippi Setting Record Harvest

Officials at Mississippi State University (MSU) have noted that Mississippi’s 2023 timber harvest is expected to set a record for the 21st Century. “We are on pace to exceed 36 million tons of timber harvested, which would be the highest level we have experienced this century, surpassing the previous high set in 2005 prior to the Great Recession,” comments Eric McConnell, an associate professor of forest business at MSU.

The 36 million tons is a 9.6% increase from 2022. The increased harvest helped Mississippi’s forestry industry remain in third place among the state’s agricultural commodities, with an estimated production value of $1.5 billion. Poultry and soybeans ranked first and second at an estimated production value of $3.1 billion and $1.6 billion, respectively. Timber’s value of production is estimated based on monthly severance taxes collected by the Mississippi Dept. of Revenue.