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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Manicaland Bureau
TIMBER producers have called for partnerships with private investors to establish large-scale nurseries to provide a constant supply of seedlings to plantations.
The call comes as the seedlings have been dwindling and the country could begin importing timber from neighbouring countries in the next few years.
Timber Producers’ Federation chief executive Mr Darlington Duwa said most producers have been experiencing a shortage of seedlings.
“We have been facing a lot of challenges as an industry and these include people who are coming in to harvest timber from various companies’ plantations and selling it off cheaply. These people are stealing from both private and State forests. We also have a shortage of seedlings so there has been minimal planting of new stock. We need partners who can come on board to partner with the Forestry Commission or Allied Timbers to establish a nursery,” he said.
Mr Duwa said the Forestry Commission and other small private players usually supplied the sector with seedlings albeit on a small scale.
He said although it would take 25 years for the trees to mature, a targeted drive to plant more trees would ensure that there was a constant supply of timber.
“We are likely to face timber shortages in the next seven years if the current situation persists, but we have to plan beyond those seven years. This shortage should not stop us from planning for the future,” he said.
The industry has been facing challenges of illegal settlers who have invaded more than 20 000 hectares of forests and are destroying the trees to clear land for agriculture.
There have also been increases in the number of hectares destroyed by fires which has contributed to the forecast shortages.
“We are still compiling statistics from all the producers but what I can tell you is that we have registered a significant increase in fires. As compared to last year’s figures of 220 hectares that were lost to fires, this year we are looking at more than 2 500 hectares of commercial timber plantations destroyed,” said Mr Duwa.
He said runaway fires from neighbouring communities had been the biggest contributor to the losses recorded followed by arson, where former employees and villagers who had grievances against individual companies destroyed forests to settle scores.
Online Reporter