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Price of Sakhalin Fir Logs Rises by 200 Yen – March 2022 Hokkaido Lumber Market Report by Hokkaido Government’s Department of Fisheries and Forestry

The Hokkaido Government’s Department of Fisheries and Forestry has compiled a report on the prefecture’s lumber market for March 2022. In it, Hokkaido’s average price for 1 m3 of lumber is calculated. In terms of materials, the price of large Sakhalin fir logs with a diameter of 30 to 38 cm and a length of 3.65 m rose 200 yen from the previous month to 13,700 yen. In lumber, the price of Yezo spruce and Sakhalin fir lumber (A- II), 10.5 cm each in thickness and width and 3.65 m in length, increased 400 yen from the previous month to 62,700 yen.

The price of Japanese larch packing material increased 600 yen from the previous month to 34,200 yen. The price of oak lumber board, which is surveyed every three months, was up 12,000 yen from the previous quarter to 236,000 yen as of the January survey.

Compared to the beginning of FY 2021, the price of large Sakhalin fir logs has risen by 900 yen, and that of Yezo spruce and Sakhalin fir lumber (A- II) has increased by 6,600 yen. Meanwhile, the price of Japanese larch packing material rose by 3,200 yen. In all cases, the pace of price increases has accelerated since the summer in response to the elevated demand for Hokkaido lumber due to the 2021 lumber shortage.

Regarding the market trend, the Department of Fisheries and Forestry is concerned about the shortage of Sakhalin fir logs due to the difficulty of removing them from the mountains, while the inventory of logs is growing. They expect prices to remain high or rise slightly. Although orders for Yezo spruce and Sakhalin fir lumber have been slow due to lower construction demand in winter, prices are expected to maintain or even increase in the future. Demand for Japanese larch packing materials is strong, but production is not fully meeting demand, so prices are on a slight upward trend.

(Excerpt from an article on April 27, 2022)

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