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afrol News, 24 March - According to a new report studying the forestry sector of Ghana, management during the last decade has been inadequate. Insufficient control of the exploitation of the forest concessions has resulted in about half of forest reserves now being categorised as mostly degraded or in worse conditions. The recently published report by Forestry Outlook Study for Africa (FOSA) and the Ghanaian Ministry of Lands and Forestry shows no mercy on Ghana's forestry sector. Mr. Tabi Agyarko, editing the report, concludes that the annual allowable cut "has been exceeded by more than 46% during the period 1990-1998," mainly due to poor forestry management. - There is inefficient marketing of forest products; unrealistic pricing of forest products and administrative procedures had no links to market realities, Agyarko writes. "There are problems with bush-fires especially in the transition forest zones and the highly degraded forest areas. There is no reliable database for proper forest management planning," he adds. The FOSA report concludes with a weak national forest policy and a poor implementation of policy. The 1989 Investment Code had encouraged over-investment in the milling sub-sector through fiscal incentives. This had contributed to the over-capacity in the industry that in turn has encouraged over-exploitation of the timber resources, Agyarko writes. Further, there was over-capacity in the wood industry, where the raw material prices were not related to the market trends. A major problem in Ghana is the high consumption of wood for energy and cooking, estimated at 14 million m3 annually and expected to increase to 20 million m3 in 2010. Even in urban areas, about 69% of all households use charcoal. Agyarko found that 91% of total roundwood production is used as fuelwood and for charcoal. The remaining (9%) is used as industrial roundwood (mainly timber). This inadequate forestry management - coupled with increasing demands for fuelwood, new roads into forestry reserves and an extensive farming system of shifting cultivation - are seen as the main reason for Ghana's galloping deforestation. The FOSA report calls for a "political will to support major forest policies" and the "participation of the communities in forest management." The potentially rich forestry sector seemed to contribute little to the economy and development of Ghana as it presently is organised, rather it was creating environmental problems and threatening the poorer segments of rural population. Sources: Based on FOSA and afrol archives
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