the timber network

Ghana’s wood exports totalled 106,892 m3 worth €41.2 million in the first quarter of 2006, up 1.9% in volume and 1.4% in value from 2005, according to the Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD) of Ghana’s Forestry Commission (FC).

A total of 19 different products were exported. Exports of lumber, veneer, boules, poles, pegs, plywood and billet accounted for 88% and 91.5% of the total export value and volume, respectively. Exports of secondary wood processed products (spwp) accounted for the balance. Apparent structural constraints, including deficient equipment, low caliber manpower holding, low-level production techniques and consumer taste underpin the limited performance of spwp exports, particularly for the European market.

The European market remains the main export destination for Ghana’s wood products, accounting for 40.7% and 47.8% of the total export value and volume. India and the USA have also consistently been posting strong indications as equally lucrative destinations for Ghana’s wood products. India was the single largest importer of the products, accounting for 16% of the total export value in the period. India notably imported 2,500 m3 of Ghana’s maiden gmelian billet. The USA imported 10,208 m3 of wood products worth €4.57 million, down 39% and 21% from last year. There were, however, significant improvements in US rotary veneer and plywood imports, especially in March 2006, due to the upswing in housing and other construction projects. Nigeria, with imports worth €2.68 million (notably plywood), was Ghana’s sixth largest importer and its largest in Africa.

Price instability, which plagued the Ghanaian timber industry during the last quarter of 2005, spilled over into the first quarter of this year. Some products such as niangon boules and KD wawa lumber, nonetheless, proved resilient and achieved prices above 2005 levels. Wawa in various products, especially KD lumber and mouldings, was the most exported species with 23,137 m3 worth €6.86 million. It was followed by teak with 22,291 m3 worth €6.69 million mainly as AD lumber to India.

There were 201 exporting companies during the first quarter of this year with ten of them accounting for 54.5% of the export value. These were Naja David Veneer Ltd., Logs & Lumber Co. Ltd., John Bitar & Co. Ltd., Samartex Timber & Plywood Ltd., Ayum Forest Products & Plywood Ltd., Mondial Veneer (Ghana), Olam Ltd. (Ghana), A.G. Timbers Ltd., Ghana Primewood Ltd and Jowak Enterprise Ltd. Meanwhile, Dupaul Wood Treatment Ltd. has pioneered the export of coconut lumber, exporting a trial order of 0.152 m3 to Japan.

Log Prices



Sawnwood Prices



Veneer Prices



Plywood Prices



Added Value Product Prices