Post by Trade facilitator on Sept 28, 2022 17:18:03 GMT 1
Teak Production And Export: Ghana Is About To Become The Largest Producer Of Teak In The World
Ghana, already the largest teak producer in Africa, is poised to become the number one producer of the wood in the world. The country is currently seeking to explore and develop new strategies and initiatives to further grow its teak production, the Minister of Lands and Natural resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has said.
The country currently has an estimated 200,000 hectares (ha) of teak plantations comprising approximately 70 percent forest plantations.
The Minister of Lands and Natural resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor said that out of the 26 million tree seedlings distributed this year as part of the government’s ‘Green Ghana Day’ initiative, 5.2 million were teak seedlings.
Presently, teak is the most exported timber species from Ghana; both in terms of volume and value. For instance, it constituted 54 percent by volume and 45 percent by value for all 42 timber species and wood products exported from the country last year.
According to the Minister, this timber species was introduced into the country around 1905 – more than a century ago, with seeds sourced mainly from India and Burma, now Myanmar. However, it was not until the early 1970s that the country started embarking on large-scale teak plantation and development under the government’s Rural Development Programme.
Mr. Abu Jinapor, speaking at the opening ceremony of the ‘4th World Teak Conference’ in Accra, said the position teak occupies in the Ghanaian timber industry today is not by accident.
He attributed it to deliberate and structured efforts by the government, through the Forestry Commission and in collaboration with private sector players and rural communities, to take advantage of the friendly investment environment, climatic and edaphic conditions to actively promote the development of forest plantations.
“These achievements have been chalked up through the implementation of enabling policy and legal frameworks, respect for the rule of law, and the principles of democratic accountability,” he said.
Apart from developing this timber specie, he said the government is also is working to make its harvesting, trade, and use in the downstream industry easy and legally compliant internationally.
“We have therefore developed the Ghana Timber Legality Assurance System (GhLAS) under the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Framework being implemented between the government of Ghana and the European Union to enhance transparency, efficiency, and legality in timber traded from Ghana.
“We have also developed a Wood Tracking-Decision Support System (GWT-DSS) – an electronic tracking system that tracks and traces timber from source to export, and ensures that any timber that enters the supply chain originates from legal sources,” he added.
Other efforts include the development of a digital property mark and registration system by the Forestry Commission, which allows timber companies and loggers to register and renew their property marks – a prerequisite for legal timber production in Ghana – from the comfort of their homes.
These initiatives, the minister said, have attracted and sustained key private and public sector investments in the forest plantation industry of Ghana.
He said the government has prioritized forest landscape restoration, especially commercial forest plantations, anchored around teak and other timber species.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, said Ghana is the destination of choice for investors looking to explore and do business in the teak market.
He said with Ghana being the leading producer of teak on the African continent, the government is intentional about enhancing its production.
Among other speakers, also the president of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO); Dr. John Parrotta lauded the commitment of government and organizations to research and invest in the timber species.
He is optimistic that the conference will allow participants to connect, share ideas and contribute to the growing conversation on the opportunities and challenges of teak on the global market.
This is a tough challenge for the government of Nigeria on the abundant forest reserves dotting the whole country.
We will do research on the current state of teak wood in Nigeria and bring the result to our members so that we can compare with what is currently happening in Ghana.
Our company is one of the best companies in Agro-Export Business in Nigeria today. We train individuals and corporate organizations on how to do Export Business the right way; if you are interested, please contact the admin of this forum now for further details.
The country currently has an estimated 200,000 hectares (ha) of teak plantations comprising approximately 70 percent forest plantations.
The Minister of Lands and Natural resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor said that out of the 26 million tree seedlings distributed this year as part of the government’s ‘Green Ghana Day’ initiative, 5.2 million were teak seedlings.
Presently, teak is the most exported timber species from Ghana; both in terms of volume and value. For instance, it constituted 54 percent by volume and 45 percent by value for all 42 timber species and wood products exported from the country last year.
According to the Minister, this timber species was introduced into the country around 1905 – more than a century ago, with seeds sourced mainly from India and Burma, now Myanmar. However, it was not until the early 1970s that the country started embarking on large-scale teak plantation and development under the government’s Rural Development Programme.
Mr. Abu Jinapor, speaking at the opening ceremony of the ‘4th World Teak Conference’ in Accra, said the position teak occupies in the Ghanaian timber industry today is not by accident.
He attributed it to deliberate and structured efforts by the government, through the Forestry Commission and in collaboration with private sector players and rural communities, to take advantage of the friendly investment environment, climatic and edaphic conditions to actively promote the development of forest plantations.
“These achievements have been chalked up through the implementation of enabling policy and legal frameworks, respect for the rule of law, and the principles of democratic accountability,” he said.
Apart from developing this timber specie, he said the government is also is working to make its harvesting, trade, and use in the downstream industry easy and legally compliant internationally.
“We have therefore developed the Ghana Timber Legality Assurance System (GhLAS) under the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Framework being implemented between the government of Ghana and the European Union to enhance transparency, efficiency, and legality in timber traded from Ghana.
“We have also developed a Wood Tracking-Decision Support System (GWT-DSS) – an electronic tracking system that tracks and traces timber from source to export, and ensures that any timber that enters the supply chain originates from legal sources,” he added.
Other efforts include the development of a digital property mark and registration system by the Forestry Commission, which allows timber companies and loggers to register and renew their property marks – a prerequisite for legal timber production in Ghana – from the comfort of their homes.
These initiatives, the minister said, have attracted and sustained key private and public sector investments in the forest plantation industry of Ghana.
He said the government has prioritized forest landscape restoration, especially commercial forest plantations, anchored around teak and other timber species.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, said Ghana is the destination of choice for investors looking to explore and do business in the teak market.
He said with Ghana being the leading producer of teak on the African continent, the government is intentional about enhancing its production.
Among other speakers, also the president of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO); Dr. John Parrotta lauded the commitment of government and organizations to research and invest in the timber species.
He is optimistic that the conference will allow participants to connect, share ideas and contribute to the growing conversation on the opportunities and challenges of teak on the global market.
This is a tough challenge for the government of Nigeria on the abundant forest reserves dotting the whole country.
We will do research on the current state of teak wood in Nigeria and bring the result to our members so that we can compare with what is currently happening in Ghana.
Our company is one of the best companies in Agro-Export Business in Nigeria today. We train individuals and corporate organizations on how to do Export Business the right way; if you are interested, please contact the admin of this forum now for further details.
