Ghana earns €135m from timber export by third quarter 2015 – ITTO

Ghana earned €135.02 million from its timber exports in the first three quarters of 2015, according to the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO).

The amount is up 37 per cent year-on-year.

“Ghana’s cumulative volume of timber exported during the first three quarters of the year was 267,379 cubic metres, up by seven per cent on the 249,846 cubic metres in the same period in 2014,” the organization said.

The ITTO also notes that the following make up the total volume of 267,370 cubic metres exported in 2015. They include airdried sawnwood (38.4 per cent) and kiln-dried sawnwood (17.6 per cent) which accounted for 56 per cent of the total.

This was followed by overland sales of plywood to neighbouring countries (14.3 per cent), poles (8.5 per cent) and billets (8.1 per cent).

“Except for plywood, exports to ECOWAS countries declined however, for most other main export products increases were recorded compared to 2014. The export of poles and billets (small plantation logs) to Asian markets were significant in total exports at +53% and +19%, respectively. Asian markets together accounted for almost 60% of total wood product exports,” the ITTO reported.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi