Softwood structural timber prices show strong increases   The latest edition of the quarterly Australian Timber Market Survey (TMS) report has just been released for the March quarter 2014, reporting price indexes for a range of softwood timber and panel products. The March quarter 2014 results saw strong price increases for the structural timber products MGP10 and MGP12 of between 2.7 and 5.4 percent. This result follows on from four consecutive quarters of price rises for these products through calendar year 2013. The upturn being observed in these timber products over the last 12 months has been strongly influenced by increases in house construction in parts of eastern Australia.Panel products monitored by the Timber Market Survey all showed moderate price increases over the March 2014 quarter. Particleboard and MDF product prices increased between 0.2 and 0.9 percent, while plywood prices increased between 0.3 and 0.5 percent. Prices for engineered wood products have also increased during the March quarter 2014 by between 0.7 and 1.6 percent.Further information and the latest Timber Market Survey report is available by: clicking here. The Timber Market Survey collects price data through quarterly surveys of a representative sample of timber market participants in eastern Australia. All quarterly TMS reports contain pricing information for softwood timber, panel and engineered wood products. The June and December quarter editions also include pricing information for hardwood timber products. The TMS is prepared by URS Australia and funded by seven major Australian forestry organisations: Forestry Corporation of NSW; VicForests; Hancock Victoria Plantations; HQPlantations; ForestrySA; DAFF Queensland Government; and Green Triangle Forest Products.