The country may be forced to start spending millions of cedis on timber imports following the collapse of 75 out of 100 local timber manufacturing companies in the past few years.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Timber Millers Organisation, Dr Kwame Asamoah Adam, blamed the phenomenon on forest destruction caused by frequent bushfires.
He said that if the situation is not curbed, the remaining 25 timber companies in the Western North, Eastern, and Central Regions will have to permanently close their doors due to a shortage of raw materials.
He said the fate of the country’s timber industry now depends on the success of the remaining 25 companies that continue to operate, export and provide jobs. Emphasising the acute shortage of raw materials in the country, Dr Kwame Asamoah Adam said the quantity of round logs coming in has reduced from about 1.2 million m³ about 20 years ago to 500,000m³ now. He urged timber industry players to sustain the industry by establishing timber plantations. Dr Adam noted that while these wildfires caused by climate change have depleted much of the country’s timber resources, replanting trees could help prevent the industry’s untimely collapse.
He said commercial tree planting should be undertaken to serve as raw material for timber production. And there should be concerted efforts by timber industry players to increase advocacy for the protection of forest reserves.
