Challenges to reforestation in Ghana: Perspectives of small-holder timber producers

Ofori, D. A., Siaw, D. E. K. A.

Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, UST Box 63, Kumasi, Ghana

Introduction

• Potential forest zone covers 8.2 million ha (34.47% of land area)

• 1.7 million ha (20.4% of forest zone) are under forest reservation

• The remaining 6.51 million ha. are for agriculture, settlement, roads, railway, etc

Intro

• Over 70% of the unreserved forest has been lost over the last 100 years with estimated deforestation rate of 1.7% per annum amounting to the loss of 65,000 ha per annum

• About 14% of the reserved forest is also lost

Intro

• Another 70% is mostly degraded

• Only about 15% of reserved forest is in good condition

Benefits derived from forest cover

• Environmental

• Soil conservation

• Water conservation

• Air purification

• Minimization of wind damage

Ecological

• Biodiversity conservation

• Refuge and food for wildlife

Socio-Economic

• Source of industrial raw material

• Source of raw material for domestic items and rural/cottage industries

• Source of wild foods

• Source of medicinal herbs

• Source of energy (firewood, charcoal)

• Source of animal protein (bush-meat, snails)

Socio-economic

• Source of food for live-stock

• Contributes to general economy (5-6% GDP)

• Offer direct employment to over 700,000 people and several thousands indirectly

Control of timber resources

• Annual allowable cut is 1,000,000 m3

• On-reserve contributes 500,000 m3

• Off-reserve contributes 500,000m3

• From off-reserve, 67% comes from farmlands especially cocoa farms.

• Does this much with the annual growth?

Plantation development

• Plantation development identified as a means of forest restoration in Ghana

• In year 2001, Ghana Government launched the President’s special initiative on forest plantation development with a target of 20,000 ha/annum

• Over the first three year period (2001-2003), 37,000 ha of plantations were developed as small-holder plantations

Objective

• The objective of this paper is to identify problems associated with small-holder plantation developers and to suggest researchable issues in enhancing reforestation and forest protection.

Stakeholders in forest plantation development & forest protection

Individual farmers

• Farmers practice agroforestry with timber trees on their farmlands– Farmers protect some indigenous tree species as they

clear land for crop production

– Leave trees and / or plant trees for shade on cocoa farms

• Tree plantation is skewed towards exotic species (e.g teak, Cedrela, Gmelina etc)

Timber companies

• As part of TUC and also to meet their future demands, timber companies are to have reforestation plans

• They involve farmers in reforestation and often provide training on;

• Nursery techniques

• Plantation establishment techniques

Timber companies cont’d

• Agro-forestry techniques

• Basic inputs such as Wellington boots, watering cans, cutlasses, tree seedlings etc.

• Examples are;

Suhuma Timber Co. Ltd, Swiss Lumber Co. Ltd, Samartex Timber and Plywood Co. Ltd, Logs and Lumber Co Ltd, Bibiani Logs and Lumber Co Ltd, AG Timbers etc.

NGOs• Cost in terms of Labour and capital is too

high for many rural people and farmers

• Assist farmers in forestry plans and support alternative livelihood techniques to help reduce poverty of farmers.

Example; Bee keeping, mushroom and snail farming, grasscutter rearing

NGOs• Village nursery techniques

• Plantation establishment

• Agroforestry techniques

• Seed collection, handling and distribution (eg. R&C).

Ghana governmentGovernment is using a variety of direct and

indirect incentives to stimulate forest plantation development

• HIPC fund - Government awards contracts and pays workers. Government has 100% ownership

• Loans and grants - Government grants loans to individuals. Plantation developers have 100% ownership

Ghana Government cont’d

• Modified taunga system executed by Forest Services Division - Degraded forest reserves released to farmers and there is a sharing agreement by which farmers receive direct shares at maturity and harvest of the trees (Govt. = 40%, farmer = 40%, traditional authority & land owner = 15%, community = 5%).

Ghana Government cont’d

• In addition

• Free seeds and seedlings are provided

• Technical supervision provided

• Provide market for products

• Benefit from food crops

Forestry Research Institute of Ghana• Provide improved seeds and seedlings

• Information on species-site matching

• Training in nursery and plantation establishment

• Consultancy services in various aspects

Priority species

Indigenous species• T. sceroxylon• Terminalia superba• Terminalia ivorensis• Ceiba pentandra• Nauclea diderrichi

• 40,000 kg of seeds (200,000,000 seeds)

• 5,000,000 seedlings

Exotic species• Cedrela odorata• Gmelina arborea• Teak• Pines• Eucalyptus

Challenges to reforestation• Initial capital

• Long rotation period

• Immediate cash benefits

• Scarcity of land

• Land tenure system

• Market

• Security (fire)

Challenges

• Ownership rights of timber

– indigenous spp

– Exotic spp

• Will farmers continue to maintain trees on their farms?

Solution to challenges

Encourage private sector development• To encourage forest plantation with

indigenous tree species the Timber resource management (amendment) Act Act 617 of 2002 was enacted. It states that no timber rights will be granted in respect of ;

• 1. Land with private forest plantation or• 2. Land with any timber grown or owned by any

individual or group of individuals.

Private sector devpt cont’d• This Act has actually stimulated a lot of

private sector forest plantation development.

• Nevertheless, there is still a shift towards exotics since the benefits are accrued within a short period.

• 92.3%. of seeds supplied is teak

Provision of extension services for monitoring out-grower systems Village nursery techniques Techniques for establishment of forest

plantations Tending

• Agro-forestry techniques

• Market information on timber demand and price

• Tree Growers Association

Research needs for enhancement of small – holder plantation developersOwnership

• Farmers are not ready to plant or maintain trees they do not own. There should be clear policy on the ownership rights, stating what goes to farmers, chiefs and the state on various out-grower schemes.

• Act 617 of 2002 is being implemented and evaluated

• Benin (Profizi, 1986)

Research needs

• Land tenure system- Uninterrupted land tenure with timber tree planting

• Develop agroforestry techniques with timber trees with short, medium and long-term benefits (Samartex, CARE) (alternative livelihood)

Research cont’d

• Subsidised loans (FPDC)

• Bureaucratic impediments (logging, conveyance permits)

• Market analysis and pricing

• Management of plantations by community forest committee

Conclusion

• The potential role of forest plantations in sustainable supply of wood and non-wood forest products and environmental services has been recognised in Ghana

• Small holder timber producers have played and will continue to play a vital role in the management and protection of our forests

Conclusion

• Certain obstacles are to be removed to sustain farmers rights and interests.

• Hence policies have to be developed to enhance the economic activities of the small holder timber growers.