WOOD producers are receiving the same prices today as they did in 1976 - and inflation means that, in real terms, the price is only a quarter of what it was then.

The harsh reality was spelled out by Mr Martin Clark, a former lecturer in forestry economics, who spoke at the Yorkshire Woodfair at Thirsk racecourse on Saturday.

Another forestry consultant said that anyone who planted trees from scratch should not expect to make a profit from the wood alone.

"There is not very much profit to be had from trees," said Mr Peter Townson of DCT Forestry. "Certainly not if you are planting from scratch, but possibly if you are felling great grandfather's oak. But did he ever make any profit from them?"

It would be several years before any income from the wood could be expected - much longer before any profit.

Mr Townson said the strong pound had hit prices and made imports attractively cheap. The recently-freed Russian satellites had been encouraged to improve their economies and had sent a lot of high quality wood to the UK.

The UK imports 85pc of its wood and wood products and is second only to America as the biggest importer. Japan is third largest.

Mr Townson stressed the need to protect and weed new plantings for the first few years to give them a good start. The first thinnings would not be ready for 20 years with conifers and 35 to 40 years for broadleaved woodlands.

It was rare for these to pay, although the second thinnings might provide income - but not profit.

Felling needed to be done properly for the correct market, but the cost for small woods would generally be higher than for large ones because of the economies of scale.

Felling charges would probably be no less than £16 a tonne and haulage £6 a tonne. The £22 total could be more than the £20 a tonne currently attracted by wood for chipboard and account for the bulk of other prices paid.

If the tree was not straight, the wood might not be suitable for any markets.

Mr Clark, of Clark MacTavish based in Cumbria, gave a fascinating talk on the five companies he had established which sought work and opportunities all over the world.

They included one company which taught people how to make log cabins, another which used brushwood and willow to make mattresses which were sunk to provide a scour-proof floor in estuaries.

Another had used poor quality wood from woods in Ireland to weave into sandtraps to save beaches from erosion on the west coast. Woven into diamond configurations, the traps allowed sand to be blown into them, securing the beach.

They worked so well that the company had built them in Cumbria, Italy, Finland and Cyprus.

Perhaps the most exciting project involved making growth stimulants using conifer foliage. It is about to be marketed and Mr Clark has high hopes for its success.

"I strongly believe that in a few years time tree needles will be worth more than the timber, if we get the marketing right," he said.

The Woodfair proved a great success, with a wide range of manufacturers, craftsmen and others associated with the timber industry