May 18, 2010. /Lesprom Network/. The Finnish forest industry's timber procurements from private forests came to 1.2 million cubic metres in April. The aggregate purchase volume for January-April has almost doubled from the corresponding period of 2009, the Finnish Forest Industries Federation said in a statement received by Lesprom Network. Sales of forest industry products have started to recover and this had lead to increased demand for timber. January-April log purchase volumes have grown by 95% and pulpwood purchase volumes by 83% from the corresponding period of 2009. Spruce log purchase volumes doubled. As demand for end products recovers, better prices have also been paid for timber. Softwood stumpage prices increased by 4% from March, while birch log prices were up 3%. Pine log stumpage prices were Euro 51 per cubic metre on average and spruce logs cost Euro 52 per cubic metre. Buyers paid Euro 38 for a cubic metre of birch log on average. Pine pulpwood prices rose 4% to Euro 15 per cubic metre. Spruce and birch pulpwood prices were up 1-2% to Euro 18 and Euro 14 per cubic metre, respectively. The forest industry needs to procure more timber of all grades and is interested in every available logging site as good demand for end products continues. Timber supply has also picked up, so the ingredients for lively roundwood sales are all in place. The industry is not yet able to purchase sufficient quantities of timber in some places, even though the situation in the timber market has improved on average. Livelier timber sales will also lead to more energy wood coming onto the market. The most cost-effective way to increase the energy utilisation of forest biomass is to mobilise more wood out of the forests and into processing. A substantial portion of Finland's sustainable felling potential is left untapped each year.