Larch price slump in infected areas

摘要

The harvesting of larch that has been infected with Phytophthora ramorum is beginning to affect the marketing of other species into the markets in southwest England and Wales. With almost 2000ha of infected larch identified to date, the majority of itin mid to late-rotation, the scale of this problem is very significant. With autumn upon us and needle-drop in larch masking any further progress of the disease, next spring will be a worrying time for growers with a larch crop. The quantity available and the additional handling costs associated with infected larch have had a devastating effect on the value of standing larch: larch sawlogs are typically worth about E10-E15 less than they were prior to the infection. Many sawmillers are now geared up to use the infected material and significant quantities are being marketed into most of the sawmills in the region.