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Logging ban causes increase in timber prices
15/05/2009
Timber prices in Kenya have increased because of a crackdown on logging. Commercial exotic forests in Kenya have been subject to a logging ban since 1999.
Only certain millers are allowed to access public forests in order to harvest materials for timber, pulp wood, and plywood. They are: Comply of Nakuru, Timsales in Elburgon, Raiply in Eldoret and Pan Paper Mills in Webuye.
Kenya Timber Manufacturers Association wants the ban lifted because more than 120,000 jobs in have already been lost in the saw milling sector, and more are likely to follow. Samuel Gitonga the Association’s chairman explained: “Saw millers are unable to get enough raw materials to sustain business while trees which are over 30 years old cannot be harvested thus denying the government revenue.”
Kenya Forest Service is also keen to enable access to the country’s timber. According to the organisation, mature exotic trees valued at Sh56 billion are currently ready for harvesting while pines, cypress and eucalyptus varieties that have fallen down are worth Sh10 billion. Director David Mbugua explained that “exotic trees have to be harvested in 25 to 30 years.”
Only certain millers are allowed to access public forests in order to harvest materials for timber, pulp wood, and plywood. They are: Comply of Nakuru, Timsales in Elburgon, Raiply in Eldoret and Pan Paper Mills in Webuye.
Kenya Timber Manufacturers Association wants the ban lifted because more than 120,000 jobs in have already been lost in the saw milling sector, and more are likely to follow. Samuel Gitonga the Association’s chairman explained: “Saw millers are unable to get enough raw materials to sustain business while trees which are over 30 years old cannot be harvested thus denying the government revenue.”
Kenya Forest Service is also keen to enable access to the country’s timber. According to the organisation, mature exotic trees valued at Sh56 billion are currently ready for harvesting while pines, cypress and eucalyptus varieties that have fallen down are worth Sh10 billion. Director David Mbugua explained that “exotic trees have to be harvested in 25 to 30 years.”
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