Wood and wood products consumption by Kumasi base end use sectors

The Kumasi based wood using industries were studied to determine the volume of wood and wood products used in their production of wood items between 1985 and 1992; the type of species of wood used and preferences for these species; the sizes, prices grade and quality of wood raw materials employed. By administering a random proportional sampling technique in most cases, the selected industries were surveyed by the use of personal interviews and or discussions supported by measurements and observation of product quality. The study revealed that between 1985 and 1992 about 4,048, 188.02m3 of logs were locally processed (consumed) by mills in Kumasi while about 348, 337.18m3 of sawnwood; 61,181.68m3 of plywood and 3,101.4cm3 of roundwooden poles were used in the manufacture of other wood items for use in the country. Producers (Manufacturers) use a limited number of species that meet export requirements as well as meeting the local consumers taste for strength, durability, appearance, and economy of use. End-use sectors showed considerable differences in their preference for a type of species. Cylicodiscus qabunensis (Danya) was preferred for the construction of permanent wooden brideges. Preference for other species were Tyiplochiton scleroxylon (Wawa) for formworks, scaffoldings, temporal wooden structures, boxes and crates and market furniture; Milicia excelsa (Odum) for school furniture, roofing and joinery; Entandrophragma species (Cedars) for beds; jbourtia ehie (Ilyedua), Lovoa trichilioides (African Walnut), cylindricum (Sapele) and Khaya species (mahogany) for room furniture; Terminalia ivorensis (Emire) and Terminalia jpra (Ofram) for coffin and ceiling batterns. Various sizes of wood and wood products were used. The average diameter of logs was found to be 800mm whilst the most utilized poles were of average diameter of 150mm butt end for Telegraph netwrk; 300mm - 400mm butt end diameter for high tension electric transmission and 280mm average butt diameter for lot tension electric transmission poles. With sawnwood however, the most frequently utilized size were mainly 508mm x 1016mm; 381mm x 3048mm and 254mm x 3045mm boards. Plywoods used mostly were of thicknesses 4mm and 9mm. Generally, the quality of wood products consumed in the wood working industries was low. No sawnwood was found to be kiln dried or preservative treated while poles used in transmission work were all treated. Although varying between the producing sources, the quality of plywood used was generally good. While the price of sawnwood varying with species, thickness and grade was quite low that of plywood was very high. As a result of the exclusive use of few species in the Kumasi based industries to meet the growing demands in both the local and export markets much efforts are required of the Forestry Department, (FD); Forestry Research Institute Ghana, (FORIG) and Timber Export Development Board, (TEDB) of Ghana to respectively manage the forest resources under sustained use basis, conduct research and develop more markets to broaden the species base to avoid technical tree depletion.

Source: KNUST