Industry Outlook 2005
Agriculture
FORESTRY: Pulp Fiction
More than 2.3 million acres of forests were destroyed or damaged during the hurricanes this past summer, which will likely cost the state's $16-billion timber industry almost $400 million in lost timber. What can be salvaged will likely be turned into pulp for paper instead of being sold for lumber for construction, which is much more lucrative. Compounding the problem is an existing surplus of smaller trees used for pulp, which has already depressed prices for growers.
2005 Forecast: "Because of international competitiveness, the amount of wood and paper products has decreased in the U.S. and will continue to decrease," says Jeff Doran, executive vice president of the Florida Forestry Association. "We have more trees growing now than we did 70 years ago."
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