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Besides overland export routes to other African countries, most timber is exported via the main ports ( GPHA, 2015) in the south: the Port of Tema and Port of Takoradi. The Ghanaian exports are sold to all regions of the world. The forestry sector significantly contributes to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Ghana and remains the third largest contributor in foreign exchange earnings for the country, according to the Ghana Statistical Service ( Kpelle, 2018). For example, sawn wood made up 86.92% by volume and 86.88% by value of all secondary product exports, in 2017, according to the TIDD statistics ( TIDD, 2017a). Timber trade between Ghana and China is being dominated by sawn wood. Sawn wood include air dried lumber, kiln dried lumber and overland lumber which is a component of secondary products, made up 90.11% by value and 86.73% by volume of all wood products exports in 2017. According to the Forestry Commission (FC) of Ghana’s Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD) classification, round wood consists of poles and billets and can also be referred to as primary products which made up 5.91% by value and 10.07% by volume of all wood exports in 2017. Timber in the article refers to round wood log and sawn wood. 1.2 The timber industry and timber trade in Ghana Table 1 summarized the main features of Ghana's forest resource. The Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy 2016–2040, which is the current framework for the implementation of the National Plantation Development Programme, is aimed at halting deforestation and forest degradation by providing a sustainable supply of timber and other non-timber forest products and environmental services by means of establishment and management of forest plantations, using selected species ( Forestry Commission, 2016b Kpelle, 2018).

Illegal small-scale mining, known in Ghana as “galamsey”, has wreaked havoc on the country than anything, with the government estimating that it would cost US$29 bn to restore ( Forestry Commission, 2016a Global Forest Watch, 2019). Since 1990, nearly 80% of Ghana’s forest resources under state control have been lost due to illegal logging and forest conversion, according to a study released by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) in 2016 ( MLNR, 2016).

#Biggest lumber exporter drivers

The key drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Ghana include agricultural expansion, mining and infrastructural development. GFW reported that Ghana’s primary rainforest loss increased by 60% in 2018 compared to 2017, the highest in the world ( Global Forest Watch, 2019). According to the Global Forest Watch (GFW), Ghana is losing its rainforest at a faster rate in the world than any other country. But, the density of forest cover is reducing giving way to a reducing close forest cover and an increasing open forest cover, the net result being an expanded forest land area, but a low density forest in terms of canopy formation ( Kuudaar, 2016).įrom 1990 to 2015, the forest degradation rate had been 45,931 ha per year ( Kuudaar, 2016). The annual change rate per year estimated over 25 years (from 1990–2015) is 0.3% ( FAO, 2015), indicating some increase in forest land area as a result of plantation development in forest and non-forest lands. The Western part of Ghana has the highest stock of natural bamboo reserves estimated to be over 60% ( Kuudaar, 2016). The country is endowed with bamboo also, which grows naturally in the wild. Around 9.0 million hectares are primary or otherwise naturally regenerated forest with major tree species of ceiba, bamboo, rosewood, Gmelina, etc., and around 325000 hectares are planted forest with over 70% consisting of Tectona grandis (teak) ( Forestry Commission, 2016a). Introduction 1.1 Forest resources in GhanaĪccording to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Ghana has around 9.3 million hectares of forested land in 2014, which constitutes 41.0% of the total land area ( FAO, 2015).

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#Biggest lumber exporter drivers

#Biggest lumber exporter full

#Biggest lumber exporter license