Mississippi Timber Prices Q4 2025
Mississippi timber prices entering Q4 2025 reveal a bifurcated landscape where pine sawtimber and hardwood prices remain elevated year-over-year despite quarterly softening, while pulpwood prices have collapsed to their lowest levels in over two decades. The most recent data from Q3 2025 shows pine sawtimber averaging $20.25/ton statewide—down 6.8% from the prior quarter but still up 10.9% from a year ago. Meanwhile, major sawmill investments totaling over $365 million are transforming Mississippi’s forest products sector even as paper mill closures signal structural decline in pulpwood demand.
These mixed signals reflect broader market pressures: Southern yellow pine lumber prices have fallen to near-decade lows, housing starts in the South dropped 21% in August 2025, and 45% combined tariffs on Canadian lumber have yet to meaningfully boost domestic prices. For Mississippi landowners, the Q4 outlook suggests holding quality sawtimber for improving conditions while accepting that pulpwood returns may remain depressed through 2026.
Current Stumpage Prices for Q4 2025
| Species / Product ↕ | Avg Price ↕ | Trend ↕ | Change | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loblolly / Slash PineSawtimber | $20.25 /ton$14 – $30/ton | ● Flat | −6.8% Q/Q; +10.9% YoY | High |
| Loblolly / Slash PineSawtimber — Southeast MS | $21.41 /ton$18 – $25/ton | ● Flat | Highest in state | High |
| Loblolly / Slash PineSawtimber — Southwest MS | $20.93 /ton$15 – $25/ton | ● Flat | Near statewide avg | High |
| Loblolly / Slash PineSawtimber — Northeast MS | $20.53 /ton$15 – $30/ton | ● Flat | Near statewide avg | High |
| Loblolly / Slash PineSawtimber — Northwest MS (Delta) | $17.04 /ton$14 – $22.32/ton | ▼ Down | −16% vs. SE region | High |
| Loblolly / Slash PineChip-n-Saw | $11.25 /ton$6 – $18/ton | ▼ Down | −3.8% Q/Q | High |
| Loblolly / Slash PineChip-n-Saw — Southeast MS | $14.55 /ton$11 – $18/ton | ▼ Down | Best in state | High |
| Loblolly / Slash PineChip-n-Saw — Southwest MS | $10.59 /ton$6 – $16.18/ton | ▼ Down | Below statewide avg | High |
| Loblolly / Slash PineChip-n-Saw — Northeast MS | $11.38 /ton$9 – $15/ton | ▼ Down | Near statewide avg | High |
| Loblolly / Slash PineChip-n-Saw — Northwest MS (Delta) | $8.71 /ton$6 – $14/ton | ▼ Down | Lowest in state | High |
| Loblolly / Slash Pine STATEWIDE AVGPulpwood | $2.26 /ton$0.50 – $12/ton | ▼ Down | Lowest in 20+ years | High |
| Loblolly Pine STATEWIDE AVGPoles / Specialty | $34.62 /ton$27 – $45/ton | ▲ Up | +$1.10 Q/Q | Medium |
| Oak Species (mixed)Sawtimber | $41.00 /ton$28 – $58.33/ton | ▲ Up | +17% vs. Q4 2024 | High |
| Oak Species (mixed)Sawtimber — Southeast MS | N/AInsufficient data | ● Flat | Insufficient data | Low (est.) |
| Oak Species (mixed)Sawtimber — Southwest MS | $43.53 /ton$30 – $58.33/ton | ▲ Up | Highest in state | High |
| Oak Species (mixed)Sawtimber — Northeast MS | $41.15 /ton$28 – $55/ton | ▲ Up | Near statewide avg | High |
| Oak Species (mixed)Sawtimber — Northwest MS (Delta) | $37.30 /ton$35 – $45/ton | ▲ Up | Below statewide avg | High |
| Mixed Hardwoods STATEWIDE AVGSawtimber | $32.33 /ton$20 – $58/ton | ● Flat | +0.5% Q/Q; Near S-wide avg | High |
| Sweetgum STATEWIDE AVGSawtimber | $22 /ton$12 – $35/ton | ● Flat | Below mixed avg | Medium |
| Yellow Poplar STATEWIDE AVGSawtimber | $28 /ton$15 – $45/ton | ▲ Up | Steady demand | Medium |
| Baldcypress STATEWIDE AVGSawtimber | $35 /ton$18 – $65/ton | ▲ Up | Niche premium | Low (est.) |
| Bottomland Hardwoods (mixed) STATEWIDE AVGPulpwood | $4.09 /ton$1 – $19/ton | ▼ Down | −9.1% Q/Q | High |
| All Species STATEWIDE AVGPoles / Specialty (Crossties) | $25.53 /ton$21.06 – $30/ton | ▼ Down | −$4.97 Q/Q (crossties) | Medium |
Historical Mississippi Timber Prices
2008–2016 values estimated from published chart readings (±$2–3/ton). 2019, 2022, 2023 linearly interpolated from adjacent confirmed years.
Pine sawtimber fell ~45% in nominal terms from $37.51/ton (2007) to ~$21/ton (2024). The 2021 lumber spike
produced only a brief bump to $26.50/ton before prices retreated — the log-to-lumber price transmission gap in full effect. Pulpwood
Pine pulpwood hit a 20-year low of $1.55/ton in Q2 2024 — a 77% decline from the 2010 peak of $10.69/ton.
At $2–4/ton, pine pulpwood barely covers haul-out costs in most Mississippi logging operations.
Hardwood pulpwood peaked ~$11/ton in 2009–2013 before a persistent decline to ~$4–5/ton by 2024. Hardwood Sawtimber
Mixed hardwood sawtimber climbed from ~$27/ton (2007) to a peak of ~$41–42/ton (2016–2017), then retreated to ~$30–31/ton by 2024.
Oak sawtimber (reported separately from 2018) peaked at $50.67/ton in Q2 2018 — the highest-value MS timber product on record.
Hardwood’s countervailing strength vs. collapsing pine defines Mississippi timber markets over this entire period. All Products · Unified Comparison
2019, 2022, 2023 linearly interpolated from adjacent confirmed data points
Source: MSU Extension / Forest2Market / Timber Mart-South · extension.msstate.edu/natural-resources/forestry/forest-economics/timber-prices
How to Estimate What Your Timber Is Worth
These stumpage prices give you the market rates per unit of timber in your area, but they’re not particularly useful on their own—you need to know how much wood you actually have standing on your land.
The most accurate way to determine your timber volume is to hire a professional forester to conduct a timber cruise, which involves systematically measuring sample plots across your property. This can cost $1,000 or more depending on your acreage and timber complexity.
For a quicker, DIY estimate, you can use SilviCultural—forestry mapping software designed for small woodland owners. It includes an amateur-friendly cruise system that walks you through measuring your timber and calculating volumes by species and product class.
Once you have volume estimates (in MBF, cords, tons, etc.), you can multiply them by the stumpage prices above to get a rough sense of your timber’s market value. For example:
- 50 MBF of pine sawlogs × $400/MBF = $20,000
- 100 cords of mixed hardwood pulpwood × $15/cord = $1,500
Keep in mind: Actual sale prices vary based on access, timber quality, market timing, and logger availability. These calculations give you a ballpark figure—always consult with a forester before making harvest decisions.
The Forest Industry Is Collapsing
More mills close each week as housing becomes unaffordable and construction stalls. But this is more than a cyclical downturn. This is the beginning of a long-term decline from which the industry will never recover. My new book Empty Homes & Silent Saws documents the carnage and offers the solution.
Lumber markets at decade lows despite Canadian tariffs
Southern yellow pine lumber prices have crashed to $362/mfbm for East Side 2×4 #2&Btr KD (week ending November 7, 2025)—down 21% year-over-year and representing near-decade lows. One industry analyst described sellers as “alarmed as their prices crashed and burned to eye-popping lows” during summer 2025.
The weak lumber market stems from multiple factors. Housing starts fell 8.5% month-over-month in August 2025 to 1.307 million units (SAAR), the fourth-lowest reading since May 2020. The South specifically saw starts plunge 21% to 667,000 units. Single-family starts dropped to 890,000 units—the weakest since July 2024. Building permits fell 11.1% year-over-year, signaling continued weakness ahead.
Despite 45% combined tariffs on Canadian lumber (anti-dumping, countervailing duties, and Section 232 tariffs tripled through 2025), domestic prices haven’t responded positively because U.S. sawmill capacity utilization remains stuck at just 64-74%. The industry has abundant capacity but insufficient demand to fill it.
Mortgage rates, while down from January 2025 peaks above 7%, remain elevated at 6.23% for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages—enough to keep housing affordability severely constrained. An income exceeding $104,000 annually is now required to qualify for a median-priced home, double 2019 levels.
Major mill closures reshape pulpwood markets
The wave of pulp and paper mill closures across the Southeast is fundamentally reshaping regional timber markets and explains much of the pulpwood price collapse.
International Paper has emerged as the biggest source of capacity reduction. The company closed its Savannah and Riceboro, Georgia facilities by September 2025 (affecting 1,100+ workers combined), its Red River containerboard mill in Louisiana in April 2025, and its Georgetown, South Carolina pulp mill in late 2024. These closures represent approximately 3% of total U.S. pulp capacity.
Georgia-Pacific shuttered its Cedar Springs, Georgia pulp mill on August 1, 2025. Domtar indefinitely idled its Grenada, Mississippi newsprint mill in mid-September 2025, affecting 150+ workers. The Grenada closure, while smaller, directly impacts Mississippi pulpwood markets—the facility had consumed 235,000 metric tons of newsprint annually since 1989.
On the sawmill side, Canfor permanently closed its Darlington and Estill, South Carolina facilities in August 2025, eliminating 350 million board feet of annual capacity and 290 jobs. West Fraser announced permanent closure of its Augusta, Georgia mill by year-end 2025. Interfor has maintained indefinite curtailments at Georgia and South Carolina facilities.
These closures compound the market impact of Hurricane Helene’s $1.28 billion timber damage in Georgia (September 2024), which flooded regional markets with salvage timber and will continue depressing pulpwood prices through mid-2025 as mills absorb damaged material.
Mississippi sees $365 million in sawmill investments
Against the backdrop of regional closures, Mississippi is experiencing a surge of sawmill investment that positions the state for strengthening timber demand over the next several years.
Hood Industries announced a $245 million expansion of its Waynesboro sawmill in September 2025—the largest single timber investment in Mississippi in recent memory. The project will construct a new state-of-the-art facility adjacent to existing operations, featuring continuous dual-path kilns and AI-powered Smart Vision technology from Comact. Completion is targeted for October 2026.
Southeastern Timber Products celebrated a ribbon-cutting in October 2025 for its $120 million Ackerman expansion, which increases annual capacity from 120 million to 300 million board feet—a 150% increase. Governor Tate Reeves attended, noting the expansion benefits 15+ surrounding counties.
Biewer Lumber is investing $40 million to expand its Newton facility by 100 million board feet annually, adding 45 jobs to its current workforce of approximately 125.
Additional developments include Twain Capital’s $10 million acquisition of the Liberty, Mississippi sawmill from Teal-Jones receivership, which will continue operations, and Enviva’s announcement of a new pellet mill in Bond, Stone County (though the company has since indicated this project is unlikely to proceed following its bankruptcy filing).
Mississippi currently operates 102 timber mills including 60 sawmills, 10 chip mills, 9 pole mills, 6 plywood mills, 6 crosstie mills, and 5 pulp/paper facilities, according to the Mississippi Forestry Commission.
Regional dynamics favor patience for landowners
Several structural factors will shape Mississippi timber markets through early 2026 and suggest landowners with quality sawtimber may benefit from patience.
Abundant supply continues pressuring prices. Mississippi’s Golden Triangle region alone has 4+ million acres of private timberland where pine is growing at twice the harvest rate—a significant inventory overhang. Growth-to-drain ratios are improving but won’t tighten meaningfully until 2028-2030 according to Forisk projections.
Weather provided forest recovery. Wet conditions through 2025 helped Mississippi forests recover from 2023-2024 drought stress, though full fine root recovery from drought mortality may take several more years. The March 2025 tornado outbreak damaged forests in 21 counties, though the impact on statewide timber supply remains modest compared to Hurricane Helene’s devastation in Georgia.
Cross-border competition intensifying. Mills in Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Arkansas compete actively for Mississippi timber. Enviva’s new Epes, Alabama pellet plant—the world’s largest at 1.1 million metric tons annually—began operations in November 2025 and draws from western Mississippi timber supply. A 75-mile radius from the Golden Triangle region contains 16 softwood and 12 hardwood sawmills.
Corporate timberland consolidation continues. The October 2025 announcement of PotlatchDeltic’s $8.2 billion merger with Rayonier will create the second-largest U.S. timber REIT behind Weyerhaeuser, with 4.2 million combined acres including Mississippi holdings. Separately, Molpus Woodlands Group (headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi) acquired approximately 173,000 acres across Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi in October 2025.
