Research Brief #29

Southern Forest Products International Trade Center - SOUTHPIC
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA

Background

A Planning Grant from the Fund for Rural America was obtained by the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center, School of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, LSU Agricultural Center; the Mississippi Forest Products Laboratory, Mississippi State University; and the Forest Products Development Center, Auburn University. This grant was to develop a Center proposal to establish a Southern Center for international trade emphasizing value added forest products.

The Center proposal was written and submitted to the USDA, CSREES Fund for Rural America (FRA), March 20, 1998. It is currently in review competing with 35 other Center proposals in various areas of agriculture and forestry. It is estimated by FRA that 8 to 12 Centers will be established.

Abstract

The Southern Forest Products International Trade Center (SOUTHPIC) is designed to enhance development of Southern rural wood based economies and increase employment opportunities without creating additional demand on harvesting forest resources. This will be done by enhancing the competitiveness of rural forest products firms in international markets with respect to value added products produced from logs and lumber currently being exported. Programs in research, extension and education will collect and disseminate current and new information on international trade in forest products. This will include foreign market analyses and issues in adding value to wood products during manufacturing and distribution.

A major effort will be to match the Southern producers manufacturing capabilities with foreign market opportunities. A Center for the South will increase the number and availability of experts in this field as well as provide a focus on issues pertaining to Southern species, manufacturers and potentially viable markets. A total of $3,998,464 over four years is being requested. This will be used to fund projects with collaborators across the South and across disciplines.

Included initially are industry representatives from the Wood Components Manufacturing Association, National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association, Southern Forest Products Association, and Louisiana Furnishings Industry Association. Researchers, extension personnel and educators are involved from the Louisiana State University, Tuskegee University, Mississippi State University, Auburn University, Texas A&M University, Virginia Tech University, Cooperative Extension Service, USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service Northeastern Forest Sciences Laboratory, and the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

The Center will be administered through the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center, School of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, LSU Agricultural Center. An advisory board of key collaborators from groups listed above will be an integral part of the decision process to assure efficient and dynamic activities are undertaken.

Primary Cooperators

W. Ramsay Smith
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center

James Granskog
USDA Forest Service Southern Research Sta.

Judd Michael
Texas A&M University

Kenneth Muehlenfeld
Auburn University

Darrel Nicholas
Mississippi Forest Products Laboratory

Other Primary Cooperators

Stan Elberg, National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Assoc.
Walter Hill, Tuskegee University
Gerard Hingle, Southern Forest Products Association
Bill Hubbard, Coop. Extension, University of Georgia
Steve Lawser, Wood components Manufacturing Association
Jack Siekkinen, Louisiana Furnishings Industry Association
Cynthia D. West, USDA Forest Service, West Virginia
Thomas R. Westcot, Foreign Agricultural Service

Contact Information

W. Ramsay Smith
Program Leader
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center
LSU Agricultural Experiment Station
227 Forestry, Wildlife, & Fisheries Bldg.
Baton Rouge, LA 70803

225/388-4155
225/388-4251
E-mail: wsmith@lsu.edu