The earliest year is 1996.
{'header': ['Year', 'Product', 'Production', 'Consumption', 'Import', 'Export'], 'page_title': 'Tropical Africa', 'page_id': '', 'types': ['real', 'text', 'text', 'text', 'text', 'text'], 'id': '1-12077540-1', 'section_title': 'Resources', 'caption': 'Resources', 'rows': [['1996', 'Log', '10207 (100)', '6042 (100)', '3 (100)', '4168 (100)'], ['2000', 'Log', '12686 (100)', '7957 (100)', '102 (100)', '4381 (100)'], ['1996', 'Sawn', '2021 (100)', '6042 (100)', '6 (100)', '1204 (100)'], ['2000', 'Sawn', '2174 (100)', '677 (100)', '8 (100)', '1504 (100)'], ['1996', 'Veneer', '401 (100)', '142 (100)', '0 (100)', '259 (100)'], ['2000', 'Veneer', '796 (100)', '307 (100)', '17 (100)', '506 (100)'], ['1996', 'Plywood', '243 (100)', '169 (100)', '5 (100)', '79 (100)']], 'name': 'table_12077540_1'}