Jun 08, 2010. /Lesprom Network/. The forest industry purchased 2 million cubic metres of wood from private forests in May. The January-May aggregate purchase volume more than doubled from the corresponding period of 2009, Finnish Forest Industries Federation said in a statement received by Lesprom Network. Even though the timber market has livened up somewhat overall, the sales figures realised over the course of 2010 lag substantially behind the long-term average. Over a million cubic metres of wood would have to be purchased from private forest in each remaining week of the year in order for this average to be reached in 2010. The forest industry is in need of all timber grades and is interested in all types of felling sites. Purchased volume of pulpwood was 3.7 million cubic metres and logs 2.6 million cubic metres in January-May. There are shortages of logs in some locations at the moment. Sawmills have had to limit their activities because of the weak raw material situation. Pine log stumpage prices were up 2%, spruce logs 3% and birch logs 1%. The average stumpage price of pine logs was Euro 53 per cubic metre, while spruce logs fetched Euro 54 per cubic metre. The average price of birch logs was Euro 39 per cubic metre. Pulpwood stumpage prices rose 2%. Pine and birch pulpwood fetched Euro 15 per cubic metre on average and spruce pulpwood Euro 18 per cubic metre. A steady flow of competitively-priced timber from forests to production facilities is a fundamental prerequisite for wood processing as well as for the entire forest industry's generation of value added. The activation of the timber markets also creates employment for forestry entrepreneurs. It is also benefiting bioenergy producers, as more fuel for the generation of forest energy becomes available.