Predicament for the sustainability of wood-based industries in the Lake Zone, Tanzania

Abstract

Wood-based industries make significant contribution to the utilization of forest products in terms of value addition. However, there is limited scientific evidence on the current development status of wood-based industries in the Lake Zone, which comprises Mwanza, Geita, Kagera, Shinyanga, Simiyu, and Mara regions. This study assessed the status of these industries and their optimal productivity level, types of raw materials used, their sources and quantity, trends of consumption of raw materials for wood-based industries, and the capacity of forest resources to sustain raw materials demands. Data collection methods involve desk review, interviews, field observation, and satellite image classification for plantation types and other land covers. The Lake Zone has 198 registered primary wood-based industries, which comprise only Sawmills. Most of these industries sourced wood raw materials from forest plantations as well as woodlots. Planted area of the plantations and woodlots in the zone is about 50,646.82 ha, with Pinus species covering 33,622.56 ha (66.39%) and Eucalyptus covering 17,024.26 ha (33.61%), yielding a total allowable cut of 67,988 m³ (22%). The annual demand, however, stands at 315,800 m³, resulting in a deficit of 247,812 m³ for the industries to operate at a normal state. The major challenges affecting the sustainability of forest plantations in the Lake Zone include the rapid expansion of primary wood-based industries focused mainly on sawmilling, uncontrolled livestock grazing, frequent fire outbreaks, and the use of poor-quality planting materials. To sustain the primary wood-based industries, more efforts are needed to establish more tree woodlots and plantations and improve their management. Despite the low supply of wood raw materials that focus on only sawmill technologies, the zone has the opportunity of the availability of wood residues emanating from the sawmills. Investment in appropriate Engineered Wood Products technologies, which could utilize the vast wood residues, is recommended.