Mississippi’s 2023 Timber Harvest Expected to Set Record for the 21st Century

Mississippi’s 2023 timber harvest is expected to set a record for the 21st Century, the Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service reported (12-19-23).

In a statement about the 2023 harvest, MSU’s associate professor of forest business, Eric McConnell, said, “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.”

Mississippi’s forestry industry remains firmly in third place among the state’s agricultural commodities, with an estimated production value of $1.5 billion. That is an increase of 9.6% from 2022. (The forestry industry trails only poultry and soybeans.) The value of timber production is estimated based on monthly severance taxes collected by the Mississippi Department of Revenue. Final figures will be available in early 2024.

Another bright spot for Mississippi’s forestry industry is the opening of new sawmills over the last few years, which has added 1.3 billion board feet of pine lumber capacity. Once these mills reach full production, Mississippi will see pine production increase from 1.5 billion board feet per year to 2.5 billion board feet per year, the MSU Extension Service said.

In addition, Huber Engineered Woods has announced plans to build an OSB mill in Shuqualak, and SDI Biocarbon Solutions intends to build a biochar facility in Columbus. Plus, Enviva is back online in Amory after a March 24th tornado damaged the facility, and the company is opening another wood pellet mill in Epes, Alabama.