Utilization of Coconut wood, Oil palm wood, Rubber wood, Borassus palm and Broussonetia as timber resources in Ghana

Utilization of Coconut wood, Oil palm wood, Rubber wood, Borassus palm and Broussonetia as timber resources in Ghana

Description: 

The project seeks to diversify the resource base of Ghana’s lumber by utilizing some lesser-used species namely, Coconut wood, Oil Palm wood, Rubber wood, Borassus Palm and Brousonetia. At a certain age of their plantations, production is constrained leading to economic loss. For instance, after 25 years, it is not economical to tap the latex from rubber wood so at that stage the tree is often discarded. When it comes to coconut, farmers experience economic loss due to the prevalence of the Cape St. Paul wilt’s disease on the trees which leave it unproductive. In its old age, the productivity of oil palm reduces because the tree grows very tall thereby making harvesting difficult. Broussonetia is also an invasive species that is often regarded as a weed but evidence shows that it could grow to the size that could be utilized as wood. All these species if they can be utilized can reduce the pressure that is being put on traditional timber species. Utilizing these species could also make the agricultural lands on which they grow productive enabling farmers recover some of the losses incurred.

Objective: 

Developmental objective

The developmental objective of the project is to increase the cocowood, oil palm wood and rubber wood productivity by economically converting their trunks into commercially valuable wood products.

Specific objectives

To determine the basic and technological properties of the wood species selected

To conduct socio-economic studies on the selected wood species in Ghana to provide reliable information to formulate development options

To diversify products according to their technological properties

To disseminate the research and development (R & D) findings to stakeholders

Year: 
2005 - 2008
Investigators: 

Daniel Sekyere
Joseph K. Appiah
Francis Wilson Owusu
Kofi Sarpong
Joseph Ofori
Beatrice Darko Obiri
Godson K. Zorve
Abubakar Issah Mohammed
Bridgette Brentuo

Responsible party: 
Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG)
Funding bodies: 
Government of Ghana